A New Cut of Diamond
by xxravenwing250xx
Summary: AU, Steven is Blue Diamond's son, raised by his Dad and Pearl. 14 years later, Blue returns and finds out some Crystal Gems still live. She wants them dead for killing Pink, but the price of revenge may be her family and she's forced to choose. When Greg and Steven learn of the past she tried to leave on homeworld, will she end up having either her revenge or her family?
1. Breakfast In Beach City

(Note: This story is inspired by u/8526415/0TheCluster0 and their story called Faded Blue and its Side stories and missing scenes offshoot. The premise is the same, however I wanted to go in a different direction with some things than the original story. Please read 0TheCluster0's work as it is awesome.)

Steven Universe slept peacefully in his bed, snoring softly. He woke to the smell of bacon floating through the large house and went to the bathroom to complete his morning routine. After relieving himself, Steven rinsed with mouthwash and ran a brush through his thick but straight black hair. It had grown shaggy as he recently decided he wanted to grow it out to look more like his father's hair.

A bit of blue peeked out from under his pajama shirt collar, and he gently put a hand to the blue diamond on his chest. Steven sighed heavily, but he smiled. Steven left the bathroom and headed down the large hall to the kitchen.

Steven Universe glanced upwards. He was still growing used to the high ceilings in their new home. It was an old mansion that had been built and maintained by the Dewey family. It had been built in honor of the legendary giant woman who saved Bud Dewey out at sea. That is to say, it had been built with very high ceilings and doorways, and oversized 'communal' rooms like the kitchen, living room, bathrooms, rumpus room, and dining room. Only the bedrooms seemed to be of relatively normal size. Supposedly so said giant woman could visit if she ever wanted to.

Greg had purchased the house for a few reasons. One, being that Steven was the son of a diamond, they weren't sure if his organic body was going to grow taller than the average human, or if so, by how much. Two, he thought Blue would have liked the place. She had always seemed to enjoy strange and unusual architecture. The third reason was because it was on the edge of town. It was a private spot, but not too far away from the town's conveniences.

Steven arrived at the kitchen. Greg Universe was at the stove cooking bacon and eggs, with biscuits baking in the oven. He hummed the tune to his latest song. His long brown hair was rustling slightly in the breeze that came in the window. He wore a tank top and pajama bottoms, suitable attire for a lazy Saturday morning. Pearl stood at the counter, chopping fruits for a fruit salad. Pearl's hair hung in her eyes as always, making one wonder how she saw well enough to avoid cutting herself. Her ballerina like leotard and sheer skirt would look silly in this situation to anyone outside the Universe household.

Steven walked up to his father and opened his arms. "Good morning, Dad!" He said cheerfully. Greg hugged his son, smiling a warm smile. "Good morning, Stu-ball. Are you excited to take a look around town?" Steven nodded. "Yeah, it's too bad we had to spend ALL our first day moving stuff and unpacking." "But now we don't have to do any unpacking today. We can just relax and explore Beach City." Steven nodded and let his father return to cooking.

As soon as he approached Pearl, she set down the knife and the pear she was cutting on the cutting board. Pearl opened her arms to Steven, a small smile on her face. Steven wrapped his arms around her willowy form. She reciprocated but did not squeeze him very tightly, keeping the embrace tender. "Good morning, My Steven. Did you sleep well?" She asked softly. Steven nodded. "Yeah, I was beat from unpacking yesterday. All the warping trips from Korea to here kinda made me dizzy too."

Pearl released him and stroked his hair. "That is normal, My Steven. Multiple warp trips tend to make humans disoriented. I was happy to make myself useful while you rested. If you will set the table, Greg and I will have breakfast ready in a moment." She said softly. Steven did as asked, finding the silverware drawer and setting the table.

They preferred to eat at the small table in the kitchen, finding it more cozy than the long dining room table. Steven set three places, then took his seat. Inside ten minutes, breakfast was served. Eggs, bacon, biscuits, and a bowl full of fruit salad. Everyone served themselves. Pearl didn't take much, as she did not need to eat. She only took up the habit of eating when she'd learned that taking a meal together and conversing over it was a human bonding ritual. Thus, she only ate food when the family ate together.

Steven and Greg discussed their new home and the new town. Both were excited, but nervous. "I'm wondering if anyone here will know me." Greg said. "I'm sure they will, Dad! Just because you retired from touring after Mom got pregnant doesn't mean you aren't STILL a super huge Rockstar! People still eat up your CDs when you put out a new one."

Greg chuckled and blushed. "Ah, you're being overly generous, kiddo. Sure I was a moderately successful musician back in the day and I still have a small, loyal fan base today, but that doesn't make me a 'super huge' Rockstar. Maybe someone will recognize my stage name, but I'll honestly be surprised if someone recognizes me. So are you excited to live so close to the beach?"

Steven nodded. "I'm really excited to be able to go swimming anytime. But… I'm really hoping to make some friends. I love you and Pearl…" "But you need friends your own age." Greg said solemnly. "Well, since Pearl agreed to put your lessons aside for three days, hopefully you can make a few new friends by then. Just try not to be too over-eager. Stay relaxed." Greg advised.

Pearl had been reluctant to put Steven's schooling off, but Greg had convinced her that being in a new place would distract him, and it would be easier for everyone if she just allowed Steven a few days to explore his new surroundings before trying to get him to focus on school subjects again. Besides, Pearl reasoned, it would give her time for her other duties, cleaning and shopping, and of course there was the drill too.

"My Steven, perhaps we should take a walk after the dishes are washed. It would be helpful to us both to learn the locations of the local business and leisure areas, and exercising shortly after eating aids digestion." Steven nodded. "Yeah, a walk sounds nice. Wanna come, Dad?"

Greg shook his head. "I'd like to, but I have a few more things I need to do. Paperwork for the move and boring stuff like that. You guys go have fun."


	2. New Friend and Old Enemies

(Sorry for taking so long on chapter 2 guys! Life as well as my other hobbies have been on my back.)

After the dishes were done and Steven was dressed, Pearl and Steven headed out on their walk, hand in hand. It was a lovely day in Beach City. Many people waved and said hello, which Steven happily returned. Pearl simply smiled politely and waved.

Steven Universe was mentally charting the locations of places that interested him such as the arcade, the restaurants, and Funland. He also listened to the birds. Like his mother had been able to do, after spending a significant amount of time on earth, Steven had learned to understand and talk to animals. At least, those who were intelligent enough to be capable of some sort of speech.

Steven froze when he heard a sound of distress. Pearl took only a moment to stop moving beside him. What Steven heard was not a human, but a canine whine. _"Connie! Connie where are you?"_ The dog whimpered in distress.

Wordlessly, Steven led Pearl towards the noise. Pearl did not need to ask what was going on. It was quite normal for the kindhearted young diamond to help wounded or distressed animals. Steven whistled, the way people did went calling dogs. _"CONNIE?!"_ The canine said excitedly.

Around the corner scampered a fluffy puppy, whining and looking around, and sniffing the air. Pearl watched as Steven made some yipping sounds she did not understand, but she knew the animal did.

 _"Hey little buddy, come here. I'll help you find Connie."_ Steven said, not wanting the excitable pup to end up hit by a car while looking for his master. The pup ran to Steven's arms eagerly, and Steven scooped him up with care.

"We are helping the lost canine find its owner?" Pearl asked. Steven just nodded. "Very well, My Steven. What sort of human are we looking for?"

Steven conversed with the dog a bit and relayed to Pearl that his name was Buster, his human had left him with a girl named Connie, and this Connie was a girl with dark skin, brown eyes, glasses, and long brown hair.

Pearl took Steven's hand again as they searched. She was concerned he would get so focused on helping the puppy that he would separate from her if she was not careful. Pearl spotted a girl with dark skin and dark curly hair. "My Steven, might that be her over there?" Steven looked, then shook his head.

"Too tall. Buster says she's only a little taller than me. Besides, we'll probably hear her before we see her. She'll probably be calling for-"

"Buster! Buster, Here boy!" They heard a voice calling. Buster began to squirm, but Steven did not let him down, for fear of the dog running across a street. He followed the voice around a building, Pearl in tow.

A girl matching Buster's description ran to them. "You found Buster! Oh thanks so much! My cousin would kill me if anything happened to him." Steven passed the puppy to her and she hugged him.

"It's not problem. The name's Steven. And this is Pearl. We're new around new around here. Nice to meet you." Steven said. "Pleased to meet you." Pearl said softly. She'd become quite the expert of this region's human etiquette in preparation for their move. The girl smiled, a little shyly. "Me too, actually. My name's Connie."

Steven grinned. "Well if you're new too, maybe you'd like to walk around with us. We were… what did you call it Pearl?" "Familiarizing ourselves with the area." Pearl responded.

Connie nodded enthusiastically and put Buster back on his leash to walk with them. As they walked, Steven explained to Connie that Buster had been searching for her too. He'd simply gotten over excited by an interesting smell and hadn't intended to run away.

"You can talk to dogs? That's amazing!" Connie said. Steven blushed modestly. "Oh not just dogs. I can talk to all kinds of animals. Birds, cats, mice, frogs, pumas, deer, pretty much anything intelligent enough to talk."

Connie's eyes widened and sparkled behind her glasses. "Where did you learn that?" She asked. Steven shrugged. "I've been doing it for as long as I can remember. I guess I got it from my mom."

Connie turned to Pearl excitedly. "Could you teach me how to do that?" Pearl blushed a darker blue, realizing she'd been mistaken for Steven's mother. Not that this was the first time it had happened. "Oh, no, Miss Connie, I am not Steven's mother. She is… No longer with us."

Connie flinched a bit at her faux pas and turned back to Steven. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring that up." Steven smiled weakly and put a hand to his chest, to the gem he kept covered. "It's alright. She… died the day I was born, so I really can only miss her by the stories Pearl and Dad tell me…" Both children were silent for a moment.

"Perhaps a change of subject is in order?" Pearl suggested. She looked around. "Look, children. I believe the boardwalk is over there. Let's go see what's there." Pearl took both children by the hand and led then towards the boardwalk.

Connie smiled down at Buster. The dog really seemed to like Steven. It was a shame that her cousin would be coming to pick Buster up at the end of the weekend.

"Oooh, look an arcade! We should meet there and play some games sometime." Steven said. He would have suggested now, but neither he nor Pearl were carrying any money. Connie nodded. "Sure. I'm not much of a gamer but I could learn." Connie answered. They passed by the Fryman shop and Fish Stew Pizza.

Pearl was listening to the idle chatter of the children when someone she thought she'd never see again came around the corner. A very tall woman was headed straight towards them. She did not notice Pearl as her head was turned to a smaller woman with purple skin and short white hair. Pearl didn't even need to catch sight of the gem embedded in her navel to know that heading straight towards her and the young diamond was the rebel leader Rose Quartz.

The moment she'd stopped walked and stared ahead, frozen, was enough time for the children to turn to her. Connie had picked up little Buster because of a large dog nearby Before Steven could ask what was wrong, Pearl grabbed them both by the wrists and tugged them into an alley to hide. "Shhh." Pearl said as the crouched behind some boxes.

Luckily, the two gems had been too distracted with each other's company to notice them. The three could hear the two gems pass by. "Rose, you were so awesome! The way you wanged that gem mutant in the head with the back of your sword? It was great!" Said one voice. "You did very well too, Amethyst. Your whip technique is getting very good." Said a sweet, almost motherly voice. Steven noticed Pearl shudder at the sound of it, despite the voice lacking any threatening tone. Buster just tilted his head in confusion.

Pearl put a finger to her lips, signaling Connie and Steven to remain quiet until they were further away. Pearl seemed to be holding her breath. Though breathing wasn't strictly necessary for gems, Steven had been told most of them did so unconsciously. As soon as the voices faded away, Pearl released a sigh of relief.

However, it was not safe here. Before Pearl could think about her actions, she picked up both children and ran towards home. Her strength and speed were surprising for a gem who looked so dainty and frail. Steven and Connie clung to her, for fear of being dropped.

They made it to the mansion at what seemed to be impossible speed. Pearl shut the door behind them and sighed. They hadn't been seen, so the house should be safe. "I… apologize for that, My Steven, Miss Connie. My Steven, since we are here why don't you show Connie your room? I need to go have a word with Greg, urgently."

"Um, sure. Connie, come on. My room is this way. Connie was patting her pocket, checking to make sure her phone was still there. She sighed in relief when she found it. "O-ok." Connie followed him, still a bit frazzled while Pearl walked off calmly in search of Greg.

Steven showed Connie to his room, but Connie wasn't really interested at the moment. Buster however was very interested in jumping up on Steven's bed for a nap. "Please tell me that was unusual." Connie said. Steven nodded. "I've never seen Pearl act like that. She's usually always super calm…Wanna go to my dad's office door and eavesdrop?" Steven asked. Connie nodded. "Definitely. Let's go."

(I apologize for the Crystal Gems just barely making any appearance in this chapter, but I would like to keep all chapters close to the same length if possible. They will have a bigger feature in chapter 3, I promise!)


	3. Truths told and a Beach Party

(REALLY sorry about taking so long with this my dear readers. Long story short my computer broke when chapter 3 was 3/4 done and it is still off getting repaired. Fortunately I was able to save my progress on a flash drive just before it pooped out on me and I borrowed a laptop.)

"-But Blue said the crystal gems were all destroyed in the corruption attack. Are you SURE it was her?" Steven and Connie listened to Greg and Pearl behind the office door. "Yes, I'm sure. I will never forget that face or that voice. Thank the stars she didn't catch sight of me or the children. If Rose Quartz had seen us… they might have shattered Steven and I, and who knows if they would have hurt Connie just for being with us."

"Oh boy." Greg ran a hand through his long hair. "If only Blue was here. She'd know what to do." "My Diamond would have shattered them immediately, but I do not have that kind of power to protect Steven. I'm sorry, Greg."

They heard the soft sound of Greg patting Pearl on the back. "No, Pearl, you did the right thing. Bringing Steven home was the sensible thing to do. I wouldn't expect you to stand up to warriors like that…Why did you bring Connie though? People might have thought you were kidnapping her."

Pearl hesitated. "I panicked I suppose. They didn't seem aggressive towards the humans, but I didn't wish to risk my Steven's new friend coming to harm, even if the chance was slim."

Greg released a heavy sigh. "Okay, here's what I'm thinking… We may not necessarily have to move again. You said there are warp pads all over the planet, right? Maybe they were only in this area for a short time? And you only saw two of them right?" There was a silence, likely meaning Pearl nodded. "So two isn't so bad." "If there are two, there must be more. I don't know how they survived without being corrupted, but somehow they did. Greg, they despise homeworld, and the Diamonds most of all. If they find out what Steven is, they will want to kill him."

At this point Connie was shooting confused looks at Steven. Deciding they'd heard enough, Steven took Connie by the hand and brought her back to his room. No sooner did the door shut than Connie started asking questions. "Steven, what are they talking about? Diamonds? Crystal Gems? What you are?"

Steven bit his lip. He was afraid the truth would scare off his new friend, but his dad had taught him that lies were not the way to build a friendship with someone. Steven took a deep breath. He went to his dresser and picked up a framed picture of Blue Diamond and Greg. In this picture, Blue Diamond had shrunken her body down to a reduced form. However even in that reduced form she was a head taller than Greg. He handed it to Connie.

"That's my Mom, Blue Diamond. She was a gem, a kind of alien race that look a lot like humans, but they don't…do a lot of things the same way." Steven said, not wanting to go off on a tangent trying to explain the whole race to her. "Mom was… Well the closest thing we have on earth would be a Queen, but Diamonds have a much bigger domain. She ruled over a third of the population. Why she came to earth and why she stayed is a pretty long story, but the part you need to know is that she abandoned her throne and decided to stay here on earth. Pearl was the only gem she brought with her. The Crystal gems were dangerous rebels who…murdered Pink Diamond, someone Mom loved very much. And as for what I am…"

Steven tugged his shirt collar down to show Connie his diamond, his mother's diamond. "Mom's body couldn't make a gem just for me when she was pregnant, so she had to give me hers for me to live." Connie's eyes went wide as she stared at the diamond on his chest. She raised her hand as if to touch it, but kept it close by her chest. "Is it… okay if I touch it?" Steven nodded.

Connie reached out slowly and touched the blue diamond, as lightly as though it were a tiny glass figure. Steven smiled at her care. He gently took her hand and pressed her palm to the gem. Connie was surprised by how warm it was. "It's diamond, not glass. You don't have to be scared of touching it."

The girl ran her hand over the diamond, marveling at the rich blue color. Maybe it was her imagination, but it seemed to have the slightest glow as the light struck it. She ran a finger around the edges. Steven found himself enjoying the awe and wonder in Connie's eyes, but was still concerned it would be too much for her. When Connie took her hand away, he let his shirt collar cover the gem again. "Connie, if this is all too much for you, it's okay. If my life is too weird and crazy for you to want to be friends with me, I understand."

"Are you ikidding/i me? Connie asked with stars in her eyes. "You're the hybrid son of an alien queen and part of a rebel army your mother fought against is still here on earth?! Just hearing about it is more excitement than I've had in my entire life! Not to mention you're really nice, and honest even when the truth sounds insane. Of course I want to be your friend!"

Steven gasped in surprise when Connie pulled him close and hugged him. His surprise quickly melted into joy. Steven hugged her back, firmly but gently. A moment later, Connie released him. She pulled out her phone. "Here, program your number into my phone and let me see yours. Then I need to call my mom."

Meanwhile, Greg Universe was alone in his office. The plan he had formulated was to find the Crystal Gems himself and if possible befriend them to gain information. He could gain their trust and find out what their level of hostility was, and their weaknesses if possible However the question was where to start? How could he get in contact with the Crystal Gems?

Greg's cell phone rang and Greg picked up. "Hello? Yes, this is Greg Universe. Yeah, I guess I could play at the festival. It's a real shame your final act had to cancel, but it's been a while since my last live performance. Okay. I'll be there." Greg ended the call and left the office.

About a week later, almost all of Beach City was at the beach for a big party. Mayor Dewey had made a much bigger deal out of a minor celebrity moving to town than Greg had wanted. Greg was just grateful he hadn't told Mayor Dewey about Steven.

Greg Universe himself was backstage, preparing his finale performance. It had been a long time since he'd played for a live audience, but Greg was not nervous. He loved playing music, and it would be nice to hear cheers again.

He looked over to his son. Steven and Pearl kept near the side of the stage. Steven had convinced them he would be fine as long as the Crystal Gems never saw his gem. He was wearing a shirt and it was dark. Surely they'd never notice him.

Pearl herself was dressed in a tee shirt and jeans as well, in order to blend in and to hide her gem. Of course, that wouldn't make a difference if the Crystal Gems recognized her face, but again it was dark, the crowd would obscure her from view, and the Crystal Gems seemed unlikely to show up to a human music show.

Greg began playing and Steven watched, wide eyed with enjoyment. He watched the crowd dance during his dad's song and some tried to sing along. Steven was so thrilled to finally see Greg give a real performance that he started dancing too, forgetting about keeping a lookout for potential danger.

Luckily for him, Pearl was anything but relaxed. She was stiff under the rave lighting and constantly looking out for a potential threat. She almost grabbed Steven and fled when she saw the rebel pearl standing on the other side of the crowd holding her spear.

She appeared to be looking for something. Not in the fashion of an urgent search, but in the way a sentry keeps a general lookout for danger. Pearl wondered if the rebel pearl was protecting these humans from some suspected danger, or if this was just habit for them.

At the back of the crowd, she could see Rose Quartz again. The tall gem was dancing and clearly enjoying the music. It would have roused anger in Pearl to see the war criminal frolicking as she did, if she were not so frightened about being discovered.

In the middle of the crowd, she could see the diminutive amethyst she'd seen the other day. That gem was dancing with wild abandon in the crowd. She sometimes grabbed one of the nearby humans, especially if they were still, to cajole them into dancing with her.

Pearl relaxed just slightly when she realized none of the gems there had noticed their presence. Indeed, they were seemingly there for the celebration. Though between the three of them, she wasn't sure if it was to protect the humans or just to enjoy the party.

"Pearl! Come dance with me!" Rose Quartz called out over the music. Pearl watched as the other Pearl's eyes lit up. Her serious stance quickly dropped. The other pearl allowed her spear to dematerialize and she hurried to Rose.

The two of them danced, and Pearl couldn't help but watch. She sighed, it being inaudible over the music. She glanced down to make sure Steven was still near her, which he was, dancing with joyful abandon.

Rose Quartz and the other Pearl seemed to dance for longer than it normally took. Only then did it occur to Pearl that they were just dancing for the fun of it. She supposed it made sense that they would pick up such human pastimes being here for so long.

Sure enough, it happened and their forms began to glow. This glow caught Steven's attention and he stopped dancing to watch. Their bodies converted to light and combined. Steven's eyes were wide and starry as a giant woman appeared at the back of the crowd. Said crowd hardly reacted, as though they'd seen her before.

Steven gazed in awe at the woman who continued to dance at the rear of the crowd. Her towering height, her wild mane of hair, with streaks of pastel color, her FOUR eyes, the two gems, it all entranced the young hybrid. He started to step away from Pearl, so dazzled that he momentarily forgot the gems that made up this giant woman were his mother's enemies.

No sooner did he take two steps towards massive gem than Pearl grasped his arm, pulling him back towards her. Steven looked at Pearl, snapping out of his trance and took her hand. He did not dance anymore, but instead stared at the giant woman as she danced, more entranced by the concept of her existence than her admittedly impressive dance moves.

Steven's eyes were glued to the fusion for the rest of the song. As Greg finished playing, a roar of applause went up. Steven politely joined the clapping and finally looked over towards Greg, beaming with pride. Pearl clapped as well, keeping focused on the other gems around her.

No sooner did the dancing stop than the giant woman split apart, the two laughing and hugging. The amethyst jumped on the other pearl playfully. Rose Quartz watched them fondly for a moment, love clearly visible in her eyes. Then, her eyes turned to the stage again.

Most of the crowd began to disperse, but a few people gathered at the stage for a chance to talk to Greg Universe. Rose decided to join them and awaited her turn to talk to the talented musician. She waited patiently at the back of the group while Greg signed things and chatted with his fans.

Pearl grew nervous as she saw Rose Quartz approach Greg. She no longer though the humans were in any danger from the Crystal gems, but now the cover of the crowd was rapidly thinning. She and Steven would become more and more likely to be noticed the longer they lingered now.

She took Steven's hand and gently tugged him away from the stage. "Come, My Steven, we must leave with others to avoid attention. Greg will meet us at home." Steven shot a concerned look at his father, but allowed Pearl to take him home.


	4. Getting to Know the Gems

(M'kay so my excuse for taking so long this time is this: I lost the flash drive I keep my writing on, and that includes my fanfictions! I will try to get chapter 5 out sooner and I THINK Blue will be in chapter six if my estimates are right this time.)

Greg was enduring the celebrity treatment with humilty, shaking hands, hugging, signing autographs, and taking pictures. All the attention made him blush, but he was glad only a handful of people in Beach City were fans of his. He was always in it for the music, after all.

The blush drained from Greg's face as he looked to the last in line. Rose Quartz. After the stories Blue had told him, Greg was ready to run, but he controlled himself, thinking of his plan. Greg forced a nervous smile and extended a hand. "Hello, Ma'am. Pleased to meet you."

Rose smiled sweetly. "Pleased to meet _you_ Mr. Universe." Greg glanced over to the side of the stage quickly, and relaxed slightly since Steven and Pearl were gone. "Ah, Mr. Universe is just my stage name. Call me Greg."

"You can call me Rose Quartz. You must be new around here. My friends and I know almost everyone's faces in this town." Greg was consciously taking deep, even breaths to stay calm. He was trying his hardest to treat her like any other fan. "Yeah, I just moved in on the edge of town a little while ago. So where do you and your friends live?"

Rose giggled and pointed out the giant temple behind her. It wasn't that Greg hadn't noticed it, he just thought it was another piece of gem architecture leftover from the beginnings of colonization. "Oh, I see. I guess that means we'll be seeing each other around quite a bit." Rose nodded. "Yes, and I'm pleased to know I'll get to see you and hear your music again. Hopefully we'll be good friends."

Greg bent down and opened one of his bags and dug through it. "It's always nice to have a new fan. I'd love to stay and chat, but I need to get home." He pulled out one of his Mr. Universe T-shirts. "Here, have a shirt as a sort of welcome-to-the-fanclub gift."

"Aw, thank you." Rose put the shirt on immediately over her dress and waved goodbye as Greg headed off towards home. The musician looked back over his shoulder, forcing another smile. The amethyst, having finally been pried off the pearl, smiled and waved. "Hey, next time you're talking to me too, Music Man!" Greg noticed the other pearl giving him a dirty look, but paid it little attention. He never put much stock in people who didn't like him despite not knowing him.

After quite the walk, Greg arrived home. He found the door locked and let himself in with his keys. He followed the only sounds in the house to Steven's bedroom. Pearl was reading him a bedtime story. Greg didn't care that most would consider Steven too old for that. Steven still liked it and listening to the stories helped him sleep.

When Pearl finished the bedtime story, she and Greg kissed Steven goodnight. "Sleep tight, Stu-ball." Greg said, kissing his son's forehead and ruffling his hair. Pearl by contrast kissed his cheek and smoothed Steven's hair. "Pleasant dreams, my Steven."

Pearl and Greg left the room, Greg turning on the boombox in Steven's room and hitting play while Pearl turned out the light. As the CD started, Blue Diamond's voice came through the speakers. "Goodnight, my precious little Steven. Your father wrote you a sweet new lullaby. I think this one is my favorite."

"The twilight has faded, given way to night,

"All is at rest, beneath the pale moonlight.

"Flowers close up, day's creatures lie still,

"Tucked in their dens, safe from the chill.

"Shadows are shadows, have no fear.

"Precious child, we are always here.

Whether rain falls, or stars shine above,

Dream sweet dreams, my little love."

Greg and Pearl closed the door as Steven closed his eyes. The CD Blue Diamond had made for him, one of many, kept playing as Greg and Pearl walked down the hall. Greg stretched. "I think I'm going to take a shower and hit the hay myself. See you in the morning, Pearl." Pearl nodded. "Goodnight, Greg. I have a few more things to do, then I will rest as well." Greg headed off towards the master bedroom.

Pearl did some chores around the house first. A little dusting, some laundry, and organizing the items in her room. It only took her about an hour. When she was through, she went to Greg's room and listened at the door. She could hear him snoring. She went to Steven's room and listened as well, hearing only the recording of her diamond's voice.

Sneaking out quietly, Pearl made her way to the nearest warp pad, excepting the one right outside the Crystal Gems' temple of course. She warped away, to a location she's never taken Steven or Greg to. Her diamond had forbidden her to speak of it to them unless time ran out and they had to get off the planet.

When she exited the warp stream, Pearl was surround by mountains in a lush, fertile valley. Without hesitation, she headed into a large cave. Waiting for her was a half built machine and pile of tools and scrap metals. The drill needed to be completed soon. Of course Blue Diamond had thought ahead and left plans for her, but engineering was not was she was made for.

Pearl sighed. Before she began work, she looked across the valley, at a particular mountain which seemed just slightly less lush with plant life than the others around it. "Please hurry, my Diamond. Your family needs you. Earth needs you." With that, she turned and began working on the drill.

It was around two in the morning when she returned. Pearl checked to make sure Steven and Greg were still sleeping before heading to her room. The room Steven and Greg had set up for her was more than she ever hoped to have. A full size bed, a dresser with a few nice outfits to wear, a bookshelf stocked with reading material, and even a small TV. Most of these were gifts the men had insisted she have. Rarely did Pearl ever actually ask for anything.

Pearl climbed into her bed and made herself comfortable. She closed her eyes, silently grateful that gems didn't need as much rest as fragile human bodies. Gems only needed to go dormant to rest and rejuvinate the mind. Pearl breathed deep a few times and slipped away into sleep.

Two weeks later, Greg was waiting outside the Crystal Gems' temple. He was contemplating on the changes that had occured since the move. Steven was kept mostly inside for his safety, even though Steven insisted he was safe as long as his gem was not exposed. Steven's main pastime outside of his lessons were video games, reading, and texting his new friend Connie. Connie also made visits when she could.

Before he could muse further, the warp pad activated, making him jump slightly. "Greg! Nice to see you." Rose said quickly hugging Greg. Greg grunted uncomfortably with her tight hug, but smiled when she released him. "Hi Rose. Did your mission go well?"

"Yes, everything went fine." Rose said. Before the conversation could continue, Greg was pounced by a big purple wolf. "Awoooo! Hey Greg! You bring me any presents today?" Amethyst asked, while sitting on Greg's torso. "Hi Amethyst. Yeah I did." "Sweet!" Amethyst leaped off Greg, making him grunt again. Amethyst went for Greg's bag on the ground.

Greg was 'helped' up by Garnet. The powerful fusion lifted and righted him with ease, setting him down on his feet. "Heh. Thanks Garnet." Greg smiled awkwardly. The stoic fusion gave a nod. "See you later." Garnet headed into the temple. Greg wasn't sure, but it seemed she was even more withdrawn than usual. Perhaps distracted by something.

The human turned his eyes to the other pearl, not wanted to be rude and ignore her. "Hello, Pearl. Did the mission go well?" Pearl smiled and hugged Rose's arm. "Oh it went wonderfully, Rose in battle is always a treat to see. Hm, it's a shame you never get to."

Pearl's tone was not sarcastic, but genuine. She had been quite jealous of Greg at first. She didn't want another human to get between her and Rose, but she had quickly noticed Greg was unlike the others. Though Rose seemed interested in making him her new boyfriend, Pearl was perceptive enough to notice Greg was not reciprocating. She did not observe in him the human behavior known as flirting, so she no longer felt the need to be defensive and treated Greg with the same civility and disinterest she showed the average human.

"I'm sure he'll see me fight eventually. This place is so thick with corrupted gems it'll happen someday. Rose hugged Greg, compelling him to hug back and smile a bit awkwardly. Normally he didn't mind hugging others, but Rose's flirtation had made it obvious she meant more than a simple friendly hug. He could only think of his dear Blue when Rose Quartz touched him, but he had to remind himself he mustn't be rude if he was to gain the information he'd need to keep Steven safe. Besides, it wasn't as if he was kissing her. Greg solemnly promised himself and his memory of Blue Diamond that that would never happen.

Then suddenly a large crash was heard. "Aw yeah! Looks like Greg might get to see Rose fight TODAY. Let's go Music Man." Amethyst pulled her whip out of her gem with one hand and grabbed Greg's wrist with the other. She dashed in the direction of the sound, forcing Greg to run towards the threat with her.

"But Garnet!" Pearl said, looking back towards the temple. Rose grabbed her hand and ran after Amethyst.. "There's no time, if we need her, she'll know it and show up." Rose said quickly.

As they ran towards the noise they found a huge gem mutant, charging around and snarling. The creature was mostly a teal-ish blue, it had pink splotches on it and some darker blues on its feet and around the pink. It also had a huge furry mane down its spine.

Amethyst released Greg's hand to rush into the battle, leaving him at the sidelines. Several humans however were not quite so fortunate. The screaming humans seemed to make the creature more violent and upset. It leaped at the humans, but Amethyst put herself in the way, whipping the creature to push it back away from a small group of humans.

Greg stared in wonder, then glanced at Rose Quartz. The Crystal Gem leader gave the creature a brief look of pity, then put on her game face and leaped into action, Pearl at her side.

The human man watched the battle with awe. The one positive thing Blue had ever said about the Crystal Gems was praising their battle skills. He could see now that one bit of praise was well earned.

Pearl practically danced as she fought. She was leaping through the air and handling her spear with grace as she made calculated, precise strikes. She reacted with lightening speed when the creature was distracted.

Amethyst did minimal damage with her whip, but wielded it well. She was excellent at using her whip as a distraction and drawing the corrupted gem away from humans. Amethyst also found time to shout smart quips and taunts at the beast. She was clearly the one having the most fun.

Rose Quartz was the picture of power and grace. She was fast, snatching a middle aged couple out of the way and super jumping them to the top of a small building for safety, before rejoining the fray. "Amethyst, tie its legs!" She called out. Amethyst heeded the order with no question.

Amethyst flung her whip, encircling the creature's legs. She paused just a moment to smirk before giving her whip a hard yank and toppling the gem monster onto its side. However, in the second it took the creature to fall, everyone was horrified by sound of a girl's brief scream, before the sound was smothered by the weight of the creature.

Pearl leaped into action and jumped onto the creature. She jammed her spear deep between the creature's eyes, then leaped off just before the creature poofed. The spear and the gem clattered to the ground, revealing the human who had been trapped underneath.

"Connie!" Greg cried out with horror, rushing to her side. He was horrified by the child's condition. There wasn't much blood, but one could see under the skin that many of her bones were crushed and her chest was partly caved in.

"Ohmygosh I'm so sorry! I didn't see you there!" Amethyst said, Her eyes were wide with horror and regret. She dared not touch the girl. Greg knelt down beside her. "It's gonna be okay, Connie, we'll get you to the hospital." He said, pulling out his phone to call an ambulance. He was trying to convince himself she'd be okay just as much as her. Connie tried to speak but only began coughing up blood, horrifying him and Amethyst more.

Pearl snatched Greg's phone away from him, not wanting more humans to come clutter up the area unnecessarily. "Don't be ridiculous. Human doctors could never save her in time. Fortunately Rose is here. She's going to be fine." Pearl said, utterly unworried.

A hitched breath, a sniffle, and Greg looked back. Rose was crying, a pained expression on her face. She came to Connie's side and went on her knees. "Poor human, don't be scared. You'll be alright. All the pain is about to end." Rose Quarts promised. She leaned forward, stroking Connie's hair comfortingly as the teardrops hit the girl's face.

Instantly, Connie's eyes widened. Her skin moved like a blanket as the bones seemed to move back into their proper positions and knit back together of their own accord. In about thirty seconds, it was as though the damage never happened.

Pearl reached out a hand to help Connie up and she took it. She noticed rather quickly she was good as new. Even the papercut she had from doing homework earlier was gone. "There now, see? I told you there was no need for a hospital." Pearl said to Greg, returning his phone.

"How… how do you feel?" Greg asked Connie softly. "Great, actually." Connie answered. She smiled at Rose, "Thank you so much. I don't think I would have made it without you." Rose smiled back in her motherly way, drying her eyes before crouching down and hugging Connie. "I'm glad you're alright now." Rose murmured. Connie returned her hug.

"Rose, that was amazing." Greg said, staring at her in awe. Rose released Connie from her hug and stood up straight again. "My tears have healing powers. It's proven useful many, many times. It's an ability I'm grateful to have. Be sure you let me know if you ever get hurt." Greg smiled genuinely at Rose. "I will." He murmured.

For the first time, Greg was beginning to doubt what Blue had told him. The Crystal Gems did not seem like the cruel, traitorous warriors she'd painted them as. Only then did it occur to him that he had only ever heard one side of the story.


	5. Caught Taking a Risk

(Luckily, inspiration has been hitting me hard. So extra long chapter for you! Chapter six is quite likely to be even longer than this, as I am already halfway done with it. I will HOPEFULLY keep chapters coming regularly from this point on, once or twice a month depending on my inspiration and motivation levels.)

Days later, Greg walked home from another visit with the Crystal Gems. He had asked about the gem war, wanting now to get their side of the story. Pearl had summoned a mirror from her gem and tried to show him scenes from the war, but it would not work. Deeming it broken, Rose had given it to him as a trinket and told him a few things about the war.

Greg let himself in. Wandering through the mansion, he ran into Pearl in the kitchen, preparing some lunch. "Hi, Pearl. How's Steven doing?" He asked softly. He knew his son didn't like being cooped up. "He's well. We hung up a bird feeder to attract some birds and squirrels for him to speak with."

Greg nodded. "I talked to the Crystal Gems again today. I think… I think maybe Blue was wrong about them." Greg said. "Greg, you know what they did." Greg sighed. "Yes, Pearl. You of all people know how many times I comforted her while she cried over Pink, but… I kind of understand why they did it. They were protecting earth when it was being harmed. I'm not saying shattering Pink was right. I'm saying they had a tough choice to make. After what Rose told me, I believe they did what they THOUGHT was best. I've heard Blue's story and I've heard Rose Quartz's story. I think that's as balanced a vision I can get of the situation without actually seeing any of it. There is no such thing as a good war. Everyone gets hurt. It's just about who comes out of it less hurt." Pearl nodded, accepting Greg's judgement and grateful he didn't turn fully against Blue Diamond's side of the story.

"Anyway, Rose gave me this. I was thinking Steven might like it." Greg showed her the mirror. Pearl inspected it to make sure it was safe. "The gem is a Lapis Lazuli, she was likely once one of My Diamond's gems." Greg frowned. "You think this one was one of the…sentient ones?" Greg said, looking down at the mirror. "I believe so. It has the cut of a sentient Lapis." Greg cringed. Even if the removal of sentience WAS a punishment on homeworld, Greg could hardly think of any crimes worthy of something so harsh.

"It appears perfectly safe. I'm sure Steven will like it." Pearl said, handing the mirror back to Greg. Pearl turned back to her cooking before it burned. "I was thinking I would warp away with Steven for a walk later." She murmured. "I'm sure he'll like that." Greg said, leaving the room.

Greg went down the hall and knocked on Steven's door. "Come in." Steven called. Greg opened the door. "Hey Steven." Greg gave Steven a hug. He was sitting in front of his Gamecube with the game paused. "Hi Dad. Whatcha got?" Steven asked. Greg was quite obviously holding something behind his back.

Greg smiled. "Well, Rose gave me a little present, but I thought you'd appreciate it more." He handed Steven the mirror. Steven's eyes widened at the sight of the mirror and he looked over it. "Wow, thanks Dad! This is really cool." Steven said, his eyes going starry. He loved when Pearl would take him to see the gem ruins, and having this gem artifact was like having a little piece of that to call his own.

"I'm gonna go take care of some bills, then after lunch, you me and Pearl will take a walk, okay?" Steven grinned and nodded. "Sounds great. Can't wait!" Greg chuckled and ruffled Steven's straight, shaggy black hair, leaving the room.

Steven immediately picked up the mirror and smiled at himself. "Hey there good looking!" The diamond child said, winking at his reflection. He breathed on the glass and cleaned it with a soft cloth. "There now, you're nice and clean." He showed the mirror around the room, so to speak. He didn't know WHY it felt right to treat the mirror like a person. He knew gems used to power objects were not sentient, yet some feeling urged him to do so. The mirror gave him the feeling someone being present, but not in a frightening way.

"Time for lunch My Steven!" Pearl called. Steven brought the mirror with him and enjoyed the meal with his family. Greg took a deep breath. "Now that we're all together, I've been thinking. I think if we talk to the Crystal Gems and explain the situation, it might be safe to….introduce them to Steven."

Pearl dropped her fork in shock. "Greg, we can't risk it. I know you think they're kind, but you're a HUMAN. They have no reason to hate you. Steven is the son of Blue Diamond, one of their greatest enemies. It is… possible they could understand he is not his mother, but Steven is far too precious to take such a chance with."

Steven was silent, not for lack of an opinion, but because he couldn't decide what to say. A part of him wanted to meet the Crystal Gems, to understand why they did what they did. His father seemed to have only good things to say about them. However he was scared too. He didn't WANT to be enemies with anyone, but he didn't know if he could make them understand this before harm came to him. Heck, he didn't know if they would even care.

They discussed it together and ultimately decided to continue keeping Steven a secret from them. Steven sighed quietly, part relieved and part disappointed. Greg stood up. "Alright, let's go for our walk." Pearl nodded, the family needed a moment to unwind. "I suppose the dishes can wait until we return."

Steven picked up the mirror as he stood up. "Better leave that home, Stu-ball. I'm glad you like it so much but you could drop it." Greg advised. Steven acquiesced, bringing the mirror to his room before joining Greg and Pearl.

They headed out, avoiding the area the Crystal Gems frequented to get to a nearby warp pad. Once there, Pearl warped them to Korea, bringing them to a spot near the palanquin. Greg smiled. "Good thinking Pearl. Should be nice and safe here." Pearl nodded.

The little family began their walk, Steven chatting either to them or to the nearby animals. Pearl kept them on the easy trails, not wanting Steven and Greg to wander towards the relatively nearby drill. They headed towards Pink Diamond's Palanquin, which Steven and Greg had seen several times.

Steven suddenly stopped moving. The world around him replaced with a vision of the past. His eyes darted around as he looked at all the gems. Amethysts, Sapphires, Agates, and Pink Diamond herself, the small Diamond exiting her Palanquin "Stop! Get back!" Steven cried out. It didn't make a difference of course. He saw only shadows of what had been and those in his visions couldn't see or hear him. Thus Pink Diamond was shattered by Rose Quartz, as she had always been.

(Author's note: At the time of writing this chapter, the latest episode out is Letters to Lars. How exactly PD was shattered has not been revealed, so I will be working with the fan theory I like best.)

When Steven came out of the vision, his eyes were full of tears and his father's arms were wrapped around him. "I know, I know." Greg said soothingly. Pearl stroked his hair. "It's alright, My Steven. It was just a vision." Pearl said. Steven hugged them. "What's the point of seeing the past? I can never do anything about it." Steven murmured.

Greg released him. "Your mother always said knowing history is important, so you don't repeat its mistakes. Seeing the past makes that easier. You can know what happened first hand. You can't stop it, but you could stop it from happening again." Steve smiled and nodded, drying his eyes. Greg and Pearl often spoke of Blue Diamond as though she were an angel.

They continued their walk, ending it at the spot where Blue Diamond's Palanquin was. Greg and Steven helped Pearl tidy it up, treating the Palanquin like a memorial. "Greg, come here. He's kicking." Steven's head whipped around when he heard Blue Diamond's voice.

Blue Diamond stood in the middle of the Palanquin, her belly swollen with pregnancy. A younger Greg came forward and put his hand on Blue's belly, "Hey there little man. Daddy's excited to meet you." Greg said sweetly, gazing down at her belly. Only Steven saw the sad smile on Blue Diamond's face.

Steven's smile was similar as he watched the sweet scene. He watched quietly as Greg and Blue Diamond became lost in each other's eyes. A moment later they began to kiss, and Steven rubbed his eyes, which usually served to clear the vision, if he was calm enough to control his powers. "That's enough of that." He muttered. Pearl giggled quietly, trying to stifle it. She could already guess what he saw, or near enough to it.

"Heh, you have a lot of visions out here, huh kiddo?" Greg asked. Steven nodded. "I noticed I have them more in places I have… history with. Still wish I could trigger them on command though." Steven muttered. "You'll get there." Pearl assured.

When they finished, it was back to the warp pad and home. Steven went back to his room, and checked the mirror, smiling into it. He shut his door and propped the mirror up so it could face the screen while he watched a comedy movie. During the movie all was as normal, with Steven occasionally making comments to the mirror. He thought maybe it was being stuck in the house that gave him the odd feeling of not being alone, but couldn't figure out why said feeling was connected to the mirror.

When he finished the movie he put it away, almost knocking over his picture of Blue Diamond and Greg in the process. He sighed wistfully at the picture. Blue Diamond was smiling so sweetly, like she hadn't a care in the world.

"They look so happy together, don't they?" He said, holding the picture up to the mirror. "And Mom…Mom gave it all up just so I could EXIST." Steven began to sniffle and tear up, his free hand grasping gently at the diamond on his chest. "I know this is what Mom wanted, but why did me being born have to take Mom away from Dad? It's... It's not fair that she's gone. It's not fair I never got to meet her." Steven said, tears beginning to flow more freely.

Suddenly, Steven's reflection from a moment ago appeared. "It's not fair-" the mirror echoed. Steven's eyes widened, tears still flowing, as he looked towards the mirror. He set the photo back in its place and knelt down, picking up the mirror carefully.

"You… you really do understand me. I'm not going crazy." "Not going crazy." The mirror echoed. "Don't- Cry-" It said, cutting together two words from scenes unfamiliar to Steven. Then it replayed a part of the movie Steven had laughed particularly hard at. Steven couldn't help it, he laughed again drying his eyes.

"What's your name?" Steven ask. "Lapis Lazuli-" The mirror said, using the same strategy as before to speak. "Hi Lapis. How did you get stuck in that mirror?" Before the mirror could answer Steven's eyes widened with horror. "Oh my gosh! You're stuck in the mirror! How do I get you out?!" Steven asked.

"Remove- Gem-" It said, flashing two unfamiliar gems on the glass as it made its instruction. Steven turned the mirror over and immediately followed. He was afraid of further breaking the already damaged gem, but he knew he had to free her. He pulled a little harder and it popped off.

Steven sighed and looked at the cracked gem in his hand. He'd never seen a gem without her physical body before. Pearl had gotten hurt protecting him plenty of times, but never badly enough that her physical form had been destroyed.

He didn't have much time to look at it however, as Lapis quickly reformed. Her eyes were glassy and pupil-less, and she seemed unstable on her feet Steven took her arm to steady her and guided her to the bed to sit down. "Thank you, Steven." Lapis said, smiling.

Steven grinned and hugged her. "Lapis, you wait here. I'm going to get Dad and Pearl so they can meet you." Steven rushed out of the room eagerly, while Lapis sat still and looked around, trying to get her bearings.

"The Lapis in the mirror was still SENTIENT?" Pearl asked, horrified. Greg's eyes were wide with shock. Steven took them both by the hand and led them to his room. Lapis was still sitting on Steven's bed. Even though she understood Steven was not her Diamond, she understood he was her son, and felt compelled to obey the diamond child.

"Dad, Pearl, this is Lapis Lazuli." Steven said, grinning. Lapis smiled. "Hello, Pearl. And Greg, wasn't it?" Lapis asked Greg nodded and reached out a hand. "Nice to meet you, Lapis." She stared at his hand for a moment in confusion, before she remembered seeing two humans do this when Pearl had taken her out of her gem before. She tentatively grasped Greg's hand and he shook it gently.

"Pleased to meet you." She said softly. She then looked to Pearl. "Are we… going to go home soon?" Pearl frowned. "My Diamond chose to call this place home, and My Steven was born here. He's never been off planet. Besides, you are in no condition to travel right now."

"I am-" before Lapis could finish, she curled her body up and moaned in pain, drawing everyone in the room closer to her, trying to comfort her until it stopped. "What was that?" Steven asked innocently. "Her crack. It's bad." Pearl said, looking worried. "It's fine, I'll be fine. I've put up with it for thousands of years, I can keep putting up with it." Lapis said.

"Is there anything we can do to help it?" Steven asked. Pearl shook her head. "Once a gem is damaged, they're damaged for life." She said, sadly. "What… what about Rose?" Greg asked. The gems and Steven all stared at him.

"She'd never help me. And I don't want her help." Lapis said, stubbornly. "I don't know how you could even go about asking. If she thought you knew enough to remove the gem, she may start asking questions about what else you know." Pearl pointed out. "But she's the only one who COULD help. She said she'd used her powers to heal gems before." Greg said. Lapis insisted again that she was fine, but no one seemed to believe her.

Greg decided to start devising a plan to figure out how to get Rose to heal Lapis. In the meantime, the gem was given her own room. Within a few hours of reforming she'd regained her sense of balance, but still couldn't form her water wings. She still wanted to go home, but was comforted greatly by Steven and Pearl, if only to be around gems who weren't Crystal Gems.

A week later, Steven couldn't stand it anymore. He couldn't stand to see Lapis frequently too wracked with pain to move. Greg had managed to learn from Rose about her fountain, the tears she'd saved for centuries. Due to the other pearl letting her guard down, he'd managed to learn a general location without much suspicion. Steven thought it might be just enough to find it.

He'd set his alarm very early in the morning, earlier than even Pearl would wake from her resting, and quickly dressed and snuck out of the house. He had with him a tiny glass vial with a screw on cap, which he'd taken from an old chemistry set and cleaned in preparation for carrying the healing tears. Greg had mentioned her healing Connie from near death with only two teardrops, so he figured the small vial should be enough to heal Lapis. Maybe they'd even have a bit left over he could save for an emergency.

Steven took a deep breath. He'd never snuck out before, but Lapis was in so much pain. He made his way quickly and quietly to the nearest warp pad, staying aware of his surroundings. Once he arrived he warped away, feeling that he was alone and safe now, but still not dropping his guard by much

The young diamond moved slowly, searching the area thoroughly for any sign of the fountain. He strained his ears to hear running water as we walked. It took a good hour of walking and exploring, but FINALLY, he heard it. Trickling water. He grinned at the sound and wandered towards it.

Finally, he spied the large statue crying the healing tears. Steven grinned but resisted the urge to rush towards it. Something so valuable could be booby trapped. Picking his way carefully towards it, he pulled the little vial out of his pocket and uncapped it.

Steven's morality gave him a sharp nudge. The idea of stealing bothered him. He tried his hardest to logic his guilt away. Lapis was in tremendous pain. She needed these tears. And the fountain was large, holding dozens of gallons of tears. No one would ever miss the amount it would take to fill the little vial.

Carefully, Steven filled the vial and capped it, letting two more of the tears drip off the glass back into the fountain. Stealing the liquid was bad enough, he didn't want to be guilty of wasting such a precious resource too.

Steven tucked the vial back into his pocket and wandered back towards the warp pad. As he was wandering to find the fountain, he wasn't exactly sure where it was. He began to worry after a while, not sure he was going in the right direction anymore. Suddenly, a screech startled him and he was jumped on by a huge, centipede-like gem monster.

Steven let out a cry of fear and held his hands up, instinctively using his mother's blue lightening powers and zapping the creature. It screeched in pain. Steven zapped it again to drive it back, hoping to make it flee.

It writhed in pain for a moment and Steven watched it, frozen. He was too scared to even try to run. The thing had a huge white mane and gem in what appeared to be an eye. It seemed to shake off the strike and gather whatever mental faculties it had.

Before Steven could try to summon up another strike of blue lightening, a dark shape surged onto the scene and skidded to a stop between Steven and the gem monster. "Don't worry, you're safe now." She said over her shoulder. She was a tall gem with squarish hair. Summoning two gauntlets, she leaped into the air and pummeled the creature's head viciously and faster than Steven had ever seen, until it succumbed and poofed. Steven still felt glued to his spot as he watched her pick up the gem and bubble it, then send it off.

She turned to Steven. The diamond child finally collected his wits enough to recognize Garnet from the description given by his father. Tall, square hair, dark red skin, red and black outfit, and big sunglasses covering most of the upper half of her face.

"Now, what are you doing way out here?" Garnet asked. Her tone wasn't aggressive or suspicious, but nor was it particularly gentle. She dematerialized her gauntlets and crossed her arms.

Steven gulped and trembled with fear. All the stories Pearl had told him about the gem war were rushing back, screaming at him to flee for his life. He knew he couldn't outrun her, and she hadn't seen his gem, so he could only hope to keep it that way so she would leave him alone.

"I-I heard a myth… about a healing fountain and I w-was looking for it. M-my friend, she's really hurt… I f-found it but I only took a little, and I won't tell anyone about it, I swear. Here. You can take it back if you want." Steven said, careful to leave out the details of where he heard about the fountain and who was hurt. He held out the small vial in a shaking hand.

Garnet gave him a hard stare but did not reach for the vial. She believed his words. Rose's fountain was a myth in some human cultures, though very few like this child had ever managed to locate it.

What she found suspicious was his fear. Nervousness she would have accepted, as the young human had just seen her battle a massive beast. Perhaps he feared retribution for stealing the tears, but it seemed to be too much fear even for that. Something was off. She didn't consider it a mystery worthy of her future vision. The child seemed harmless enough. Perhaps he was just more timid than most humans.

"Keep it. If you were willing to come all the way out here to help someone, I suppose you deserve it. Which way do you live? I'll take you home." Garnet said matter-of-factly.

Instead of calming the human down, as she had expected, this seemed to upset the boy more. He returned the vial to his pocket but stepped backwards. "No, no, I can get home fine. Don't worry about me." The boy's eyes were locked on her in barely contained terror.

Steven was praying she would leave now. He was so scared. If she discovered he was a diamond, he'd be defenseless before her. He couldn't summon up another lightning bolt. He was too panicked to focus it properly. In fact he was so panicked he could feel his reverse empathy straining to burst forward and spread his fear to the fusion. That wouldn't help either. He could only make it last a few seconds at a time.

Garnet's frown deepened. It was transparent that he was hiding something. He didn't want her to know where he lived. Why? What was at his home that she'd care about? "I insist." She reached out to grasp his arm, intent on escorting him home and checking the place out.

"NO!" Steven cried out. Blue energy burst forth from his gem, surrounding them both. Garnet was overwhelmed with a feeling of terror for her life and the strong desire to flee. The diamond child did just that. His only hope now was to get away from Garnet and hide before she recovered.

Unfortunately for him, she recovered quickly as the feeling faded. She was stunned a second longer. Why was Blue Diamond on earth? Why was she so small? Why was she so TERRIFIED of seeing a Crystal Gem rather than being enraged? Quickly she decided those questions could wait.

"BLUE DIAMOND!" She bellowed, giving chase. Garnet summoned her gauntlets as she ran. She didn't pause to ask herself why Blue Diamond stayed so small and slow rather than changing to her large natural form. She only knew she needed to poof the diamond and bring her back to Rose to decide what to do with her.

Steven fled as fast as he could, but the fusion caught up in seconds. She punched at his retreating back but in her haste failed to time it properly. She punched too soon and was still a bit too far behind him when she lashed out, so that most of her fist's momentum was wasted. The blow only hit with about the force of a particularly strong human.

The blow not only hurt but pushed Steven off balance. Instead of putting his arms out to catch himself like a normal human would, he cupped his hands over his gem to protect it. He skidded to a stop on the forest floor. Acting on instinct and adrenaline, he scrambled to get up and continue running. It was too late. Garnet was already upon him.


	6. Steven the Captive

(Wow, okay so I watched A Single Pale Rose before putting up this chapter and I must make this clear, in this AU fic, Pink Diamond and Rose Quartz will be separate characters, as the plot I have in mind for this fic just does not work with the show's canon on Pink's fake death. For the purposes of this fic, Rose Quartz has always been Rose Quartz and Pink Diamond is shattered. Otherwise the story would end up becoming much more about Pink than Blue. Thanks for your attention.)

Garnet grabbed him by the arm and turned him. His shirt collar was torn badly from catching during the fall and the fabric drooped away from his chest to reveal the deep blue gem. She reached out and grabbed hold of the now exposed diamond, about to rip it off his chest. Before she did she noticed the blood. Steven had hit a patch of thorns in the fall and had deep scratches on his forearms, all of which bled readily. It made no sense. Gems didn't bleed.

This divergence from gem anatomy was enough to make Garnet doubt what she should do and check her future vision. If she removed the gem, she foresaw a piercing scream of pain and much more blood, then the body of flesh going still, forever.

Garnet shivered a bit in horror and revulsion at the gruesome possibility and was glad she had checked before acting. Releasing this creature was NOT a possibility, so that left her with only one choice.

As the possible future cleared her vision she saw the present again, the human-diamond-child thing still alive. He trembled before her, cringing in fear with his eyes shut tight, tears somehow managing to escape his eyes, and still waiting for the diamond to be ripped from his flesh. She released the gem but not his arm.

"I'm not sure who or what you are, but I am absolutely certain of one thing. You're coming with me. Got it?" Garnet said. Steven opened his eyes and looked at her, tears spilling forward and blurring his vision. Surprised and slightly relieved, he nodded. Steven dared not give the fusion a reason to cause him further harm.

Garnet lifted him by the waist and put him over her shoulder. She walked briskly towards the warp pad. Steven took the time to attempt to calm himself. Being panicky would not help, especially if he accidentally used his emotional projection to force Garnet into fear and she refused to believe it was an accident. He wiped away his tears, telling himself he needed to have courage. His mother never would have faced Rose Quartz with tears in her eyes, and neither would he.

Once they reached the front of the temple, Rose Quartz was already outside while the sun was rising. "Garnet, there you are. Oh, the poor human, give him here and I'll heal him. We have an important mission to take care of." Garnet put Steven down in front of her, then turned him by the shoulders to face Rose as she spoke. "Rose, this is more important. Just look at what I found. I'm not sure what to make of it."

Rose's eyes widened in shock. The diamond peeking through his torn shirt demanded her visual attention, but it did not make her blind to the rest of what she saw. The small stature, the male figure, the drying blood, and the bruising. This was not a diamond and not a human, it was something entirely knew.

"I'll get Pearl and Amethyst. Wait here a moment." Garnet nodded and released Steven's shoulders. She knew that he knew he had no chance to outrun her and would not try to flee.

A moment later, Steven was surrounded by Crystal Gems. He stood straight in an attempt to look as respectable as possible, though he did wish he'd had a chance to clean off the dried blood before facing them.

"Blue Diamond, it couldn't be!" Pearl said. "It's her gem, but it isn't her. The body is made of flesh, and this… being is much weaker than Blue Diamond. He was terrified of me and tried to run rather than fight." Garnet said.

"Still is terrified by the looks of it. Nice try putting on a brave face kid, but we can read you like a book." Amethyst said. "Well if he isn't Blue Diamond, who is he?" Pearl asked.

"Why don't we ask HIM?" Rose Quartz said. He looked scared and a bit piteous with the wounds on his body. An interrogation didn't seem necessary, so she decided to try a soft questioning. She went down on her knees and sat on her legs, smiling gently. "How about you tell us your name?" She asked. Steven hesitated a moment. "My name is Steven." He was worried giving his last name might put his father in danger.

"Well, Steven, I'm Rose Quartz. This is Pearl, Amethyst, and of course you've met Garnet. We're the Crystal Gems. Would you mind telling us how you got that diamond on your chest?"

"I was born with it. Blue Diamond is my mother." Steven said honestly. "What?! Gems can't have children! You're lying!" Pearl accused, summoning her spear. Rose held up a hand to stop her. "Pearl, calm down. Just because we've never heard of it before doesn't mean it can't be done." She said calmly.

Steven nodded. "A gem… can have a child, but only one. A half gem like me still needs a gem to stabilize them. Mom had to give me her gem or I wouldn't have lived."

Amethyst looked thoughtful. "We can't really prove he's lying. And he doesn't look like trouble." Amethyst said. "But we can't prove he's telling the truth either. And what better threat than one that looks harmless?" Pearl said.

"You both have points." Rose Quartz admitted. She looked to Garnet, who gave no input. Then she looked down at Steven again. If he was indeed the son of Blue Diamond, he was likely already biased against them, being brought up with homeworld's perception of the war.

However he was still a child, capable of changing his mind and innocent of the wrongs his mother committed. A child with the powers of a diamond could also prove to be a powerful ally in the future. It was a precarious path they walked with him, and she lacked enough information to make a wise decision. She needed time and to know what he was really like when he wasn't frightened, hurting, and guarded. "I think, for the time being, Steven will be staying with us until we know him better."

Steven's eyes widened. "You're keeping me prisoner?" That couldn't happen. He had to get home. Dad and Pearl were already looking for him by now. He stepped back and bumped into Garnet, having forgotten momentarily that she was there. She placed her left hand firmly on his shoulder. "Don't even think it. You aren't going anywhere right now."

Rose took a step forward. "That's not what I said, Steven." Rose said calmly. "Actually, you kinda did. You just said it REALLY nicely." Amethyst pointed out. Rose gave her an affectionate, but slightly exasperated look.

"We're keeping him at the temple? Where's he going to stay, Rose? Your room?" Pearl asked sarcastically, punctuating it with a laugh. "He can stay in my room. I don't care. Diamond or not, I'm not scared of him." Amethyst said with a shrug. It seemed like a semi genuine invitation. "We'd lose him in your mess." Pearl retorted.

"We will use the metaphysical properties of the temple to make his own room, one that will be suitable for housing a human for… an extended stay." Rose was trying very hard to not make this sound like an imprisonment. For reason one, she honestly didn't think he deserved an imprisonment, and for reason two, she did not want to burn bridges if making the diamond-child an ally was a possibility.

"You don't need to do this. I am not looking to pick a fight. I just want to go home." Steven said, fighting the urge to cry again. His Dad, Pearl, Lapis, they all must be so scared right now looking for him. Garnet's right hand landed on Steven's right shoulder. Steven flinched slightly as her thumb put pressure on the large bruise on his shoulder blade. Steven wondered briefly if she could tell how badly he wanted to run away.

"Try to understand Steven. You are the son of Blue Diamond, a gem who tried to have us destroyed. We must be certain you're not a danger to us before we can just let you run off. I promise you won't be harmed if you don't try to harm us. You must be in a lot of pain from those wounds. Here, let me heal you."

Rose pulled him away from Garnet and into her chest, embracing him. Steven was stunned at first, but the embrace was warm and maternal, not unlike that of Pearl's. He subconsciously leaned into her and might have found himself embracing her in return if he hadn't seen her shatter Pink Diamond so many times in his visions. Even knowing that, he could not deny the hug had a calming effect on him, to a degree.

Two teardrops dripped into his hair, and he felt his body mend. The scratches and bruises, all gone. The only evidence left being the blood and rips which ruined his clothes. "There now, that's better isn't it?" Rose Quartz asked. Steven nodded. "Thank you." He said softly. He couldn't decide how to feel about her right now. She was a war criminal who had made his mother miserable and now made him a prisoner, but she was speaking an acting so kindly that it confused his emotions.

Rose Quartz took Steven to her room, to wait while they made one for him. Steven wasn't sure how long he waited, as there was no clock in there. While he was alone, he checked to see if the vial in his pocket was still intact. It was. Miraculously, it had survived the fall. He tried to figure out how he could contact his family, but he had left his phone at home, and he doubted there would be any cell service in the temple anyway. Rose Quartz said they would let him go if he proved not to be a threat to them, so he decided the best course of action would be to be cooperative and polite. In other words, his usual self.

After a while, Rose Quartz came for him. She ushered him out of her room. The door to the temple closed behind them. Rose, Pearl, Garnet, and Amethyst activated the door again, this time opening it up to a different room.

Contrary to the prison-cell like environment Steven had expected to see, it was more like a rather plain bedroom. There was a bed, a dresser, an armchair near the door, and a desk. The desk had a small matching chair and on top of it rested a desk lamp, a pad of paper and a few pencils, as well as a short stack of books on it. There was a door on the opposite side of the room which hung open to reveal a little but functional-looking bathroom.

Rose Quartz nudged him gently into the room. "If you all don't mind, I'd like to be alone with Steven for moment." They all left, though Pearl did so with protest. Steven stepped back away from her, towards the bed. His heart rate began to increase. The fact that she wanted to be alone with him rang alarm bells in his head. What wouldn't she want her own gems to see or hear?

As the door closed behind them, Rose Quarts took a seat in the armchair. "Please, sit down. We've done our best to make this room comfortable for you." Steven opted to sit on the edge of the bed rather than the desk chair. Rose Quartz paused, deciding where to start her next bought of questioning.

"What were you doing out there, all alone, Steven?" Garnet told me you were looking for and found my fountain. She told me you said you wanted to heal a friend, but was that the truth? Or perhaps your gem was cracked when you got there?" Steven shook his head. "I didn't lie. My friend really is hurt. She's been in incredible pain with her gem being so badly cracked…"

"Blue Diamond's Pearl?" Rose asked. Steven shook his head. "Lapis Lazuli. The gem in the mirror you gave Dad was still sentient and-" Steven gasped and slapped a hand over his mouth. He'd said too much.

Rose's eyes widened, and she sat up straighter. "Greg Universe is your father?! That's why you knew where to look for the fountain. That's why he's been asking so many questions. That's why he's been… being so nice." Rose looked deeply hurt.

"No, you don't understand. Dad's not like that. He only wanted to see if it was safe for me to be around you. He DID ask about the fountain for Lapis, but he really does like you. He thinks you and the other Crystal Gems are good people. He trusts you. He was even talking about… about introducing me to you guys, you know, properly. Please, don't be angry at him. He was only trying to protect me." "Where do you live? I need to let him know you're alright. He must be very worried by now." Steven sighed. Rose had not yet given him a personal reason to distrust her, and now that she knew, she'd find their home eventually. "The mansion at the edge of town. The one the Dewey family used to live in." Rose nodded and stood, turning towards the door.

"W-wait." Steven said, standing up. Rose turned back to him, hurt still in her eyes. Steven approached her and handed her the vial. "I'm sorry I stole from your fountain. I just… didn't know any other way to help Lapis. Now that I can actually talk to you, I'll just ask. Please heal Lapis. She's suffering so much." Rose smiled weakly and nodded, closing her hand over the small glass tube. "I will."

Rose Quartz left and headed straight towards the old manor. It hurt, knowing that Greg had deceived her, but she tried to understand. Greg had a child he wanted to protect, as human instinct demanded. And Steven, he was something else. A diamond so kind that he would risk his own safety and freedom just to end the pain of another.

She paused briefly, the horror of the Lapis in the mirror being trapped their while sentient hit her. She felt a sense of guilt for not releasing the poor gem herself. Rose shook it off. She didn't have time to dwell on it now. She continued towards the mansion.

Once there, she took a deep breath and knocked on the door. A few seconds later, the door opened to reveal Blue Pearl. She gasped, the phone she was holding dropped to the floor and she moved backwards in horror. Her eyes widened, at least they probably did under her hair.

"Pearl? Who is it at the door?" Came Greg's voice. He came to the door when Pearl could not muster an answer. "Rose! Uh, please come in, what a surprise." Greg said, trying his hardest to remain calm. First his son was missing, and now Rose showed up at his house without him ever telling her where he lived. It only took a second to put the pieces together, but he tried to greet her naturally in the faint hope he was wrong.

"Greg, let's sit down. We need to talk about your son." What followed was Greg, Pearl, and Lapis sitting down together in the living room, having a very long talk about the situation. Greg explained himself, echoing Steven's story about coming to respect and like them, as well as wanting to introduce them to Steven, but being afraid of a bad reaction.

Rose then explained her station. Just as he had needed to make sure Steven was safe, she needed to see to it that her Crystal Gems were safe, and they just couldn't trust that Steven had not and would not take up his mother's grudge. She promised him that no harm would come to Steven and that they may visit, but he was not to leave the temple until they were certain. Any attempts at negotiating his immediate release failed. Greg, Pearl, and Lapis had no choice but to accept the terms of Rose Quartz.

As Rose Quartz stood to return to the temple, Lapis cried out in pain again, curling up into a ball. Pearl and Greg held her, offering what comfort they could. Rose remembered her promise to Steven and held the vial out to Pearl. "Here. Steven went to my fountain to get these for her. That's how Garnet found him." Pearl hesitantly took the vial and nodded. "Thank you." She said softly. Rose nodded and showed herself out. Pearl promptly opened the vial and poured the tears onto the cracked stone. Just as with a previous healings, Lapis healed immediately. Her gem mended back to perfect condition and her water wings shot forth from her back, pupils reappearing in her eyes. Lapis almost immediately lunged at Rose Quartz's back. Pearl and Greg had to physically restrain her until the door shut.

"We can't let her get away with this! First me, now Steven?! Who knows how long they'll keep him locked up. They'll never feel 'safe' around him, he's My Diamond's son! We have to rescue him!"

"I agree with you, Lapis, but rushing headlong into a fight will not help us, or Steven. We need time to think." Greg sighed. "I don't know, guys. Rose seemed to mean it. Maybe it would be better to just ride it out? It would be a lot better if we didn't have to take off and hide from them. Maybe we should give them a chance to make the decision to let Steven go on their own." Greg said. If they did successfully rescue Steven, how would they hide from them for long?

Lapis paced the floor. Being a high class gem, she was used to being in a position of leadership and control, though not necessarily in battle strategy. "Alright, here's what we do. We'll give them time, as Greg suggested, to decide to release him on their own. In the meantime, we'll come up with a rescue plan in case it becomes apparent they aren't going to release him anytime soon. Until it's time to execute the backup plan, we play nice, by their rules." Greg nodded, finding it fair enough.

"If we are waiting, then we should visit and bring Steven a few things to keep him comfortable and entertained." Pearl suggested. With that, they gathered together a bag for Steven and headed down to the beach to give it to him. The little care package included fresh clothes, a few grooming basics, a couple of books, his ukulele, and a framed photo of Greg, Blue Diamond, and Pearl together.

They arrived at the beach, everyone tense and nervous. Garnet was waiting for them, having forseen their arrival. Without a word, the stoic gem opened the door to Steven's room for them, then seated herself in the armchair near the door.

The group surround Steven and he dove into the group hug waiting for him. He was hugged lovingly in three different pairs of arms. He grinned despite his situation and his tattered look, feeling the love wash over him. Pearl and Greg both kissed his face in turn.

"Steven thank goodness you're alright. Do you have ANY idea how worried we've been?" Greg asked. "Yes, Dad, but I couldn't stand around and watch Lapis hurt any longer. I…I had to do something, and there was only one thing to do. And Lapis, you look a lot better." Steven smiled, knowing now that Rose had kept her promise.

"I am a lot better, but I didn't want you to lose your freedom over it." Lapis said sadly. Steven tugged her down and kissed her cheek, making Lapis blush blue. Pearl stroked a hand through his hair, looking at Steven's ripped, blood stained clothing. "My Steven, you must have had a horrible morning. We've brought you some things to keep you comfortable. Fortunately, we were not too flustered by the situation to remember to bring extra clothes."

Steven changed into some fresh clothes in the bathroom and gave Pearl the old ones, who stored them in her gem for later. The pants could likely be salvaged, but the shirt would need to be thrown out.

Lapis was very tempted to grab Steven and rush for the door, but Garnet sat in the armchair the entire time, silently observing, only occasionally moving, and never encroaching on the group. To Greg and Pearl, it was almost as though Garnet was not there. Lapis on the other hand understood what was going on. They were allowed to visit Steven, but only with supervision. She was painfully aware of Garnet's non-intrusive presence until the visit ended and they left for the time being.

Rose Quartz did indeed try to keep the diamond child comfortable. She made it clear he could ask them for anything he needed. Meals were provided, either by Greg and Pearl, or by Amethyst bringing food. Though her meals weren't exactly balanced. None of the Crystal Gems ever struck or threatened him, as Steven had feared may happen.

Despite Rose's best attempts to make Steven feel more like a guest than a captive, the rules of his confinement became clear in only two or three days. Rule one, Steven was never allowed to leave the room for any reason. Rule two, a Crystal Gem would be with him in the room at nearly all times, which turned out to be what the armchair by the door was for. Rule three, unsupervised visits from his family were absolutely not allowed.

He quickly adjusted to the 'changing of the guard' as he had silently referred to it. Rose Quartz would talk to him, either about the gem war and his mother, or about lighter earth-based subjects if he was feeling sociable or would just sit quietly if he wanted to read or draw. She even sang with him when he played music. As much as he didn't want to, he found himself starting to like her.

Pearl was suspicious of him and watched him like a hawk. She showed little interest in conversation with him. She was usually snippy if he tried to talk to her, sometimes verbally jabbing at him. However she did not go out of her way to antagonize him if he occupied himself quietly.

Amethyst was a combination of highly sociable and easily bored, meaning that when she was on guard duty, she pretty much demanded Steven's attention and interaction. Rarely did she stay in the guard's chair for very long. Together they tended to play card games or make some music with Steven's ukulele and whatever Amethyst could dig up. Sleeping when she was on guard was pretty much a no-go, since she wasn't allowed to sleep herself, her boredom would lead her to keep Steven up.

Garnet, she was the worst. Steven was incredibly uncomfortable around her. Their first meeting had left a bit of a mental scar, and Garnet's stoic nature made it worse. On her watch she would come in, and sit down in the chair, remaining mostly speechless and motionless. She would respond if he spoke to her, but Steven didn't want to talk to her. Her piercing stare unnerved Steven, and he could feel her eyes follow him when he moved around the room, even with her visor in the way. It made him feel as though she was constantly waiting for him to step out of line, so she could hit him again. It wasn't so bad at night when he could just turn away from her and sleep, but during the day he was always eager for Garnet's turn to be over.


	7. Bonding With the Gems

Steven woke up on the fourth day, when he was beginning to get used to his daily routine of captivity, he woke up and looked toward the guard's chair. Rose Quartz smiled warmly. "Good morning, Steven." She asked. Steven nodded. "Good morning, Rose Quartz." He said groggily. Steven excused himself to the bathroom to take care of his morning routine. He came out in soft cloth pants and a blue V neck tee shirt.

"What would you like to talk about today?" Steven asked, not feeling quite awake enough to focus on any mental exercise. Rose Quartz frowned thoughtfully.

"What do you know about the gem war, Steven?" She asked. Steven sighed. "I know the Diamonds wanted to colonize Earth, so gems could use it, but you rebelled and raised an army to stop that from happening. And I know you shattered Pink Diamond and sent my mother into millennia of mourning." Steven said. He doubted she was interested in the details Pearl had taught him in his history lessons.

"And do you know what colonization of this planet would have meant, Steven?" Steven thought about it. Pearl had loosely covered human versions of colonization in her lessons. "I guess it means that gems would have come to live here and taken some land and resources for themselves."

Rose Quartz shook her head. "No, when gems colonize a planet, they take ALL its resources. They drain the planet of all its vitality producing gems and hollow it out for other usable materials. Steven, completing the colonization of Earth would have left it a husk, and all its life extinct."

Steven's ice blue eyes widened in horror. "Mom…Mom wanted to do that?" Steven said, in a small voice. "Homeworld gems are loyal only to homeworld. They don't think about the good of other planets or their life. They only care for other gems. Perhaps Greg was able to teach her to care, but at the time of the rebellion, Earth meant nothing to her."

Steven looked down. "Whatever Mom did in the past, I KNOW she came to love it before I was born. She learned one of her powers was talking to animals. She told Dad that she never knew she could do it until she came to Earth and spent time around them, learned to listen to them." He murmured.

"Hm, a shame she didn't learn that sooner. If a diamond had loved earth back then, perhaps there wouldn't have been need for a rebellion. Gems aren't like humans. We come out of the ground knowing exactly what we're supposed to be. We're not made to grow and change like humans are. Yet we CAN change. Who would have thought even a diamond could change? Once I can send you home, I'll have to take you out to the Kindergardens, to show you what making gems does to a planet." Rose's eyes grew misty.

"Rose Quartz, do you cry a lot? The fountain… was so big and so full. And that was just the ones you've saved. I can't imagine how much time you've spent crying. Do you hurt a lot?" Steven stood up from the bed and approached her, placing a hand on her bare forearm. Rose smiled that same, warm smile. "Those tears are over 5000 years of saving them, Steven. It's not quite as much as it looks like."

Steven took her hand, growing slightly bolder. "It must be awful, only being able to heal people when you're hurting." Rose gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "It's a small price for the good it does. And with the fountain, it can still do good even if no one needs healing at the time."

Steven paused. "Did… did Dad… send you there? Because he never would have hurt you if it wasn't for me." Steven said, his own eyes tearing up. Rose squeezed his hand and with her free hand cupped his cheek. "Steven, no, don't do that to yourself. You can't go blaming yourself for the actions of others, you'll just make yourself miserable that way. I've forgiven Greg for what he did, and I think we'll even be able to be friends again, in time."

The door opened. Both Pearls stood there, White Pearl looking annoyed and Blue Pearl smiling softly, holding a plate covered with foil. "Pearl!" Steven released Rose's hand and ran to his Pearl, hugging her. Pearl set the food down on the desk and hugged him. "How are you doing, My Steven?" She asked. "I'm fine. I miss home though." Pearl stroked his hair. "And we miss having you there as well. Have you been sleeping alright without your recordings?" Steven shrugged. "It's kind of hard to get to sleep, but it's fine."

Pearl frowned a bit. "Well, please sit down and eat while it's still warm." Pearl removed a set of silverware from her gem and handed it to Steven. He quickly seated himself and removed the foil to see a delicious omelet. He partook excitedly. "Thanks, Pearl. This is great." Pearl's smile widened a bit. "I am always happy to make you happy, My Steven. Have the Crystal Gems been… treating you well?" Pearl asked softly, her smile fading again. She'd never seen damage to him when she visited, but Rose Quartz was a healer. "They're fine. Rose Quartz and Amethyst are pretty nice."

Pearl frowned. "And the other two?" She asked. Steven smiled tenderly, knowing what was worrying Pearl. "No one has laid a hand on me since Garnet brought me here. Rose Quartz is keeping her promise."

When he was finished Pearl stored the dishes in her gem for later. They sat and cuddled on the bed together. Steven barely noticed that Rose had left, with the other Pearl in her place. She had an unusual scowl on her face, but Steven didn't wish to question it while Pearl was still here.

Pearl filled him in on what was going on at home, and told him a funny story about Lapis discovering the aquariums at a pet shop. When she was ready, she took Steven's laundry to wash and let herself out.

Now, Steven finally allowed himself to turn his attention to the other Pearl. Her face had relaxed a bit when Pearl left, to a frown instead of a scowl. "Why do you hate Pearl so much?" Steven asked her. "What? I don't hate her. I just hate watching you use her like that."

Steven blinked, looking honestly confused. "I don't use Pearl." "Oh, yes you do! What did you call all of that?!" Pearl asked, squawking a bit as she spoke. "Taking care of me? Pearl has always been like that. I know Pearls on homeworld are servants, but I've never seen her that way. She's always been… like the mom I never had the chance to have. I love her." Steven touched the Blue Diamond on his chest.

"You… you do?" Pearl said, taken aback. The idea of any gem LOVING their pearl, let alone a diamond, was enough to make her begin to lower her guard. She would have written it off as a lie, but the emotion on his face and in his eyes looked so REAL. She just couldn't believe that he was deceiving her. "And what if it had been her who had been cracked and not the Lazuli? Would you have gone looking for Rose's fountain for HER sake?" Pearl said in an accusatory tone, trying to get her guard back up.

Steven frowned at the thought. "I probably wouldn't have waited as long as I did if it had been Pearl. She's fixed it when I was hurting so many times and done so much for me."

Pearl scoffed. "She's probably capable of far more than you or even she knows, if she just tried." Steven nodded eagerly in agreement. "Yeah, I think so too! If other pearls on homeworld are anything like my Pearl and you, then homeworld is wasting their potential." Pearl's attempt at building up the metaphorical wall again came crashing down and her eyes widened. This child. If only homeworld had a diamond like this child.

Steven grinned, seeing through her wide-eyed stare that he was finally getting through to the Crystal Gem. He sat on the floor in front of the guard chair. "Will you tell me about some of the stuff you've done? I bet in your adventuring you've learned a lot of awesome skills." And with that, Steven spent the rest of Pearl's guard listening to her tales and watching the holograms she projected, occasionally interjecting with cries of excitement or questions.

"Awww, nice to see you and Steven finally getting along, P." Pearl jumped, disrupting the hologram her gem was projecting. "Oh, Amethyst. Is it midday already?" Pearl said, standing up. "Yeah. Brought our little guest some lunch. And of course, some grub for me too." Amethyst said, setting a bag of fast food to the side. "Don't act like I didn't see that. You finally realize Steven's a fun guy?"

Pearl made a small, indignant noise as she stepped around Steven, making to exit the room. "Steven is… much more open to learning than I thought he'd be. Anyway, I have other things to do. Try not to fall asleep on the job… And Steven, have a pleasant lunch." Pearl said, just before the door shut.

Amethyst unpacked their lunch. "So you got Pearl to like you by listening to her lectures, huh? Smart idea. Pearl LOVES to talk, especially when she's lecturing." Steven unwrapped his burger and took a bite. "It wasn't really to get her to like me. I just thought she'd have some interesting stuff to say. And she did. I didn't even realize it was lunch time yet." Steven said, sipping his soda. Amethyst laughed. "Dude, you LIKED Pearl's lectures? NEEEEERD!" Steven just laughed and they continued eating. When they finished, Amethyst disposed of the trash by eating it.

"Wanna learn how to play Crazy Eights today?" Steven asked, grabbing the pack of playing cards of the desk. "Well, actually, I wanted to ask you about this picture." Amethyst said, grabbing the photo off the desk. "What's with the weird outfit your mom has on?"

Steven smiled at the picture, looking at it with Amethyst. "Oh, that's from their wedding. Mom wanted to wear the proper attire. Their wedding wasn't technically legal, but it meant a lot to them." In the photo, Blue Diamond was wearing a blue version of a wedding dress. It was pale blue and lacy with a fluffy skirt. A sheer veil laying back upon her white hair, as well as a bouquet of flowers in her hands.

Greg was wearing a classic traditional tuxedo, arm linked with Blue. Pearl stood to her other side, having shapeshifted into a simple but pretty bridesmaid type of dress, with a few small flowers in her hair.

"Huh, the way the other gems talked about them I thought Diamonds were huge." Steven nodded. "Usually they are. Mom had to shrink herself down a lot to cuddle and dance with Dad. Pearl said after a while she got really good at holding that small form. You've never seen a diamond?"

Amethyst shook her head and explained to Steven that she'd emerged late, the war being over and homeworld being gone by then. Steven nodded in understanding. "You must have been alone for a while then." Amethyst shrugged. "Yeah, it was kinda lonely, but since Rose found me, my life's been great. I couldn't BEAR to be anyone else!" Amethyst said, shapeshifting into a bear for the pun.

Steven laughed. "I wish I could shapeshift like that." Amethyst looked him up and down, still in bear shape. "Can you shapeshift at all? You know, being made of meat." "I can a little bit. Look." Steven stretched his body, making himself taller and thinner until he was a bit taller than Pearl. "Look, I'm Pearl now!" He said, grinning.

The purple gem laughed. "Close, but it's more like this." Amethyst shapeshifted into a perfect replica of Pearl. "Oh I'm such a snooty know-it-all, please ask me questions so I can lord my knowledge over you. Please, ask me, ask me!" Amethyst said. Steven laughed and shrank back down to his normal size. "I can do this too." Steven put out his arms and stretched them so his palms were touching the opposite walls. Amethyst laughed at him. "Pretty good, for a half gem."

"I'm not bad at changing my length and width, but I can't seem to change completely into animals like you can." Steven said. For a few hours, Amethyst helped Steven hone his shapeshifting skills, showing off some of her own when Steven got tired and needed a break.

Pearl, Greg, and Lapis arrived for a visit around dinner time, bringing an indoor picnic, which Amethyst happily joined them for. Amethyst seemed to be over Greg's tricking them and treated Greg just as she had before. After dinner, Pearl brought out a board game for them to play. Amethyst again joined. Steven realized now how much it made sense that Amethyst acted the most 'human' of the gems he'd met, because she'd never been anywhere but earth.

Steven's family had become a little more at ease with the situation, starting to accept that Steven was not in danger from the Crystal Gems. Even Greg, as upset as he was from having his son essentially kidnapped, had to admit Steven was being treated as well as a captive could be. Lapis Lazuli on the other hand, was holding tight to her grudge. She felt great loyalty toward Steven and great hostility towards the Crystal Gems. She didn't care that Steven was being treated well. She was too fixated on them imprisoning her friend.

When they left, Pearl left behind a small battery powered boombox, as well as some of Steven's night time CDs and an extra set of batteries. When they left, it was only around seven o'clock. Just as they were leaving, Garnet entered. "My turn, Amethyst." Garnet said. Steven immediately became tense. Amethyst bid Steven goodbye and headed out. The door closing behind her, leaving Steven utterly alone with Garnet, seemed to make it worse.

Being it was much too early to go to bed and try to pretend he was alone, opted to sit at the desk and draw, so that he could have a good excuse to keep his back to Garnet. He was keenly aware of her presence. The room was silent other than the scratching of his pencil, so he could hear it every time Garnet shifted in her chair. Steven swore he could feel her eyes boring into his back. Focusing on his drawing was difficult, but he tried his hardest.

Steven had no idea that at that moment, Garnet was not focused on him at all. She was deep in thought. 'Keeping my distance isn't helping to put him at ease. The future I saw where he approached me on his own doesn't seem as though it will come to pass. I'll have to approach him… carefully.' Garnet honestly didn't want to get hit with another wave of abject fear. She began looking into the future, for the best possibility of how to start a conversation with him.

After a while, Steven got up to go to the bathroom. It had been about an hour since Garnet's watch began and not a word passed between himself and the fusion. He washed his hands and returned to the main room.

With no warning, a vision hit him, causing him to freeze in place and gasp. He wasn't in the room anymore, he was outside on the beach. He didn't see anyone he knew, which was highly unusual for his visions.

Instead he saw two small gems, a Sapphire with long blue hair that covered her eye, in an elegant dress. She was running away, tears streaming down her face. A Ruby was chasing her, dressed in a typical Ruby soldier uniform. "Sapphire, wait! It's not your fault!" She called.

The Sapphire collapsed on the edge of the beach, sobbing. "Yes it is! I'm a SAPPHIRE! I'm supposed to predict the future!" The Ruby caught up to her and hugged her, holding the other gem lovingly in her arms. "Not EVERYTHING can be predicted. You know that."

"Big things like that are supposed to be hard to miss! They ARE hard to miss, but somehow I did! I-if I had just done what I was supposed to, I could have warned them. They could have hidden away in time. " Sapphire buried her face in Ruby's chest, sobbing.

"Shhh, I know, I know. We did everything we could." Ruby said. Sapphire's sobs slowed to sniffles. "I know we did, Ruby." "You wanna fuse? " Ruby asked. Sapphire nodded and stood up, while Ruby wiped the tears from Sapphire's eye and they began to dance, gazing lovingly at each other.

They fused into each other and formed Garnet, though Steven was not totally sure it was the SAME Garnet, as she was mostly pink and pale blue with a hodgepodge of clothing. Though the face was entirely the same, Steven wasn't certain how much fusions could look alike.

Meanwhile, Garnet noticed his strange behavior. The sudden freeze, the darting eyes as the vision began, and his eyes following a phantom scene she couldn't see. Garnet knew these signs. Steven had visions, most likely his mother's visions of the past. It seemed the conversation starter had presented itself to her.

Steven wiped the empathetic tears away from his eyes as the vision cleared. "What did you see?" Garnet asked. It was the first time since bringing him there that Garnet had spoken to him without him speaking first. "O-oh, it was nothing." Steven said. If it was the same Garnet, she might not be happy with him having seen such a personal moment.

"It's not nothing. You saw a vision. What did you see?" Steven reluctantly described the scene, trying not to use much detail. Garnet nodded, remembering that sad day, the day of the diamonds' attack. "So you have visions of people when you're around them?"

Steven shook his head, fidgeting nervously. "Not usually. I-I can't really control them. They're usually triggered by the place I'm in, but I sometimes get them when I touch people."

Garnet hm'd thoughtfully. "Did you have one when I carried you?" She asked curiously. Steven shook his head again. "No, I don't tend to have visions when I'm really scared…" "…And you don't have them around me because you fear me."

Garnet stood from her chair. Steven gasped softly and tensed up, taking a step back as the stoic gem approached him. Garnet knelt down to his eye level, and Steven began to tremble. Garnet reached out and drew Steven into her arms. Steven stopped trembling, surprised and confused. "I'm sorry I hurt you, Steven. You don't need to be afraid of me. Your mother and I had… bad blood between us, but I'm not pushing that conflict onto you." Steven relaxed a bit in her arms and put his arms around her.

The fusion picked him up, and returned to her chair, placing Steven in her lap. Steven cuddled up to Garnet, resting his head on her chest. Her reassurance had done a world of good towards building trust. Garnet stroked his hair. "Can I... ask you a question?" Steven asked. "I'm sure you have many to ask." Garnet murmured, with a nod.

"How do you stay so…together? I mean, you're a fusion. Pearl told me about fusions before, but the way she talked about it, she made it sound like they could only stay together for a little bit, a few hours at most." Garnet continued to stroke his hair. "The only thing required to maintain a fusion is for the components to stay in sync. Gems who are strangers likely couldn't stay fused very long, but gems with a strong, healthy relationship can stay together indefinitely. I take it you've never fused?"

Steven shook his head. "No, I've asked Pearl to try it with me, but she didn't want to, so I dropped the subject." He gave a small sigh. He'd been really curious to try it, if even for just a few moments. "That's good. Fusion is a choice, and no gem should be pressured or forced into it."

Steven was silent for a moment. "Garnet, was Sapphire… Mom's gem?" Garnet nodded. "What was she like? I've only ever known her from the cds and videos she and Dad made. I've always wondered what she was like as a Diamond, and Pearl always changes the subject." Steven was a bit afraid of what he might hear, but also wanted the truth. Garnet took a long pause.

Inside the fusion space, Ruby had been set off. 'She's a shatterer! She hates fusion and love! She tried to have me broken for doing my job!' Sapphire put her arms around Ruby. 'Ruby, shhh, we can't go on a tirade like that. We JUST made a break through with Steven.'

Garnet nodded, agreeing with Sapphire. 'Steven clearly loves his mother very much. If we start saying bad things about her, he might shut down to anything we have to say.' She didn't need her future vision to see that. 'Well what are we supposed to do? We can't just lie, and do we honestly have anything good to say about her?' Ruby asked. Sapphire paused. '…Nope.' She said flatly.

Ruby had an idea. 'Then let's not tell him anything. He has past visions, so let's just take him to a good place and SHOW him.' Sapphire and Garnet agreed.

"That is a story for another day, Steven. It's getting late. You should be getting ready for bed." Steven was slightly startled when Garnet spoke aloud again. He could tell she'd been thinking but wasn't sure of what. He sighed with disappointment. Garnet patted his back. "I will answer your question, but now isn't the time for it."

The young diamond slid out of Garnet's lap and went to the bathroom to change into his pajamas. Turning on the boombox and turning off the light, he murmured. "Goodnight, Garnet." As he climbed into the bed. "Goodnight, Steven." Garnet murmured in return. Steven settled in and the cd began to play.

"It's recording. Ready, Blue?" Greg's voice said. "Of course, Dear. Good evening, my little Steven. I hope you're ready for a good night's sleep. First, we'll have a lullaby, then a bedtime story." Greg's guitar began to play, and Blue Diamond began to sing.

Steven fell asleep quickly, but Garnet, being on watch, listened. She heard Blue Diamond sing to her child and read a short chapter book to him. It was so strange to her, to hear the gem she knew from Sapphire's memories dote on her then unborn son. Blue Diamond read the human book aloud for her child and paused to make comments here or there, seeming to actually enjoy the children's book.

This recording gave Garnet a window into the Blue Diamond Steven and Greg knew. Perhaps Greg had opened her eyes like no one else could. This Blue Diamond seemed kind, loving, and happy. She seemed interested in human culture and animals. To say Garnet was shocked would be an understatement. Still, the fusion knew she could not know the whole truth of Blue Diamond's change without meeting the gem again for herself.

Garnet looked over to the sleeping diamond child. While she did not know the whole truth of Blue Diamond, neither did he. These recordings had broadened her view. She decided she must return the favor. Steven should know both sides of Blue Diamond as well as possible, and Garnet knew how to give Steven a similar window into the Blue Diamond SHE knew. Ruby's idea needed to come to fruition for Steven's sake.

Partway through the night, Garnet left the room, confident it was safe to do so. She spoke briefly with Rose Quartz before returning a few minutes later. Steven was still fast asleep and the recording was still playing. Garnet took her seat again and waited.


	8. Field Trip with Garnet

(Apologies for this chapter being shorter than the last few, but there is a new one already in the works!)

Early in the morning, Steven was woken by Garnet gently shaking his shoulder. "Steven, Steven, wake up and get dressed." Steven rubbed his eyes and yawned. "Garnet? What's going on?" Aside from Amethyst, none of the Crystal Gems had ever woken him up.

"We're going out today. Do your morning ritual and let's go." Steven pulled the blankets off himself and rose from his bed. "Won't Rose Quartz be mad if she finds out?" Steven felt like he had been making progress with the Crystal Gems and didn't want to earn himself extra time. "She already knows what we're doing, now go on, get ready." Garnet replied.

About half an hour later, Steven was washed and dressed. Garnet wordlessly took his hand and brought him outside. It was still dark, the morning twilight had just barely begun. Steven just let Garnet lead him without question. If Rose Quartz had given permission to take him outside, this must be important.

A short walk, a warp-pad trip, and before Steven knew it they were somewhere he recognized. "The cloud arena?" He looked around for anything unusual. There was nothing out of the ordinary.

"You said your visions can be triggered by location. An event happened here many years ago that I want you to see." Garnet said. "But I can't seem to… trigger them myself." Steven said, a little ashamed. The way the other Crystal Gems talked, Garnet had little trouble seeing the future whenever she chose.

"I'm going to teach you. First, you've got to relax. Clear your mind of your own thoughts. Open your mind and let something come to you. Anything." Steven did as she asked, closing his eyes and clearing his mind. For a minute or two, he saw nothing and heard only the sound of wind.

Just when he was about to give up, a scene faded in. Yellow Diamond stood there with her pearl by her side. Yellow was inspecting the newly finished area, a group of bismuths stood to the side, looking nervous as their work was appraised.

Yellow Diamond's face remained stony, giving no signs of pleasure or displeasure. Sometimes, she would 'hm' or narrow her eyes. Her pearl followed behind her, smugly eyeing the anxious builders. Finally, Yellow Diamond turned to them. "This work is… adequate. It'll do for Pink's first colony. You're dismissed." The bismuths all formed the diamond salute and left wordlessly.

Steven blinked. Garnet stood in front of him, smiling. "You got something." It was a statement, not a question. Steven told her what he'd seen. "Good. Now let's try honing your visions a bit more. Relax like that and open your mind again, but this time don't let your mind go blank. Think of your mother and try to see her."

Once again, Steven did as he was asked. It took a bit longer this time, but Steven was also more determined. Pearl had been unable to teach him how to control his visions, so he was eager to learn and prove himself to a teacher who could.

Another scene faded in. Blue Diamond was kneeling in the middle of the mostly ruined arena, looking exactly as it did in the present. She was facing the four diamonds of the insignia, tears streaming down her face. Pearl stood beside her silently, gently stroking her diamond's much larger hand with her own. Blue Diamond stared at the pink diamond at the bottom of the insignia. "Please forgive me, Pink. I could have done more. I could have saved you." She said, more tears streaming from her eyes.

Steven rubbed his own teary eyes, not wanting to see more. "I saw Mom, crying again. That vision was a lot more recent than the last. The arena looked like it does now, and she was crying over Pink." Steven said, trying not to cry.

"Alright, I think you may be ready for what I want to show you. This time, focus on your mother, her Pearl, and me. Not as I am now, but the form you saw in your previous vision."

Steven closed his eyes again. It was difficult to focus on all three of them at the same time. This vision snapped into being much like his unbidden visions did. Before him was a crowd of high class gems all wearing blue diamonds on their clothing., his mother's Palanquin, and her statuesque figure seated inside.

The young diamond grinned in excitement and rushed towards the palanquin to see it and his mother better. He weaved around the gems who weren't really there instinctively until he was right in front of the palanquin. There was Blue Diamond, huge and formidable, but also elegant and regal. The dainty Pearl Steven knew so well stood silently beside Blue's chair, her hands clasped in front of her.

Steven was distracted by the sound of a group of rubies, and he turned to them. The three were bantering about punching Crystal Gems, a Sapphire walking behind them. The young diamond quickly recognized Sapphire and picked out the ruby with her gem on her left palm. One of the rubies was pushed into the sapphire and all the rubies gasped and stared in horror.

Steven's brow furrowed in confusion. The rubies acted as though causing the sapphire mild discomfort was an egregious crime. Steven doubted it hurt even a little. The rubies even seemed surprised when the sapphire brushed it off.

Almost forgetting this was only a vision, Steven watched as Sapphire entered the Palanquin and greeted Blue Diamond. Steven was awed by the serious and controlled tone Blue used when speaking to her gems, so different from the way she spoke as a wife and mother.

Sapphire predicted the end of the rebellion, confusing Steven as he knew the prediction to be wrong. Pearl had taught him it was very rare for sapphires to be wrong, and when they were it was usually minor details that were off. He stepped back as Sapphire exited the palanquin.

Steven jumped at Rose Quartz's voice, as she announced their presence. He yipped and jumped out of the way when Rose's pearl poofed two of the rubies and stood before Sapphire, making ready to destroy her as well.

Ruby could not accept her failure and leaped, pushing Sapphire out of harm's way, but also fusing with her. Steven gasped in shock, having no idea fusions could happen by accident. He cringed when the homeworld gems reacted with disgust and anger to a frightened and confused Garnet, before they split apart again.

Steven felt his heart speed up as he watched Sapphire begin to panic, Rose and her Pearl using the confusion to retreat safely. Even Blue Diamond's own son cringed at the accusing sound of her voice when Sapphire's vision failed to come true. However, Blue's anger was quickly turned on the less precious Ruby. Steven was now so absorbed in the vision that in the moment he'd forgotten he was only observing the past.

"How dare you fuse with a member of my court? You'll be broken for this!" Blue Diamond bellowed. "Mom, no!" Steven cried out and ran toward his mother. Just as he was about to grab on to her robes and plead with her to change her mind, it all ended.

Suddenly, the wind was knocked out of him and the vision disappeared just as jarringly as it had appeared. He gasped for breath and found himself just on the edge of the crumbling arena, dangling from Garnet's arms by his waist. Garnet turned and set him down again.

Steven's eyes were welling with tears. "The first time Ruby and Sapphire fused. I-is that what you wanted to show me?" Garnet nodded. "Mom, she wanted to shatter Ruby, why would she do that?!" Garnet gave him a sympathetic look. "Homeworld hates cross gem fusion, Steven. You saw the reaction of the others." Garnet's mind was flooded with the fear that day had caused for both of them, and the happiness that it led to. "But the fusion was just an accident!" "It was." Garnet murmured. "A-and Ruby, she was just protecting Sapphire, doing her job!" Steven's eyes began to stream with tears. "She was." Garnet said with a nod.

Steven choked back a sob. "Why did you show me that? I never thought Mom was so…" Steven couldn't bear to call his mother horrible.

Garnet placed a hand on his back gently. "I didn't show you that to upset you. I just wanted to make you understand that she wasn't perfect, despite how the diamonds present themselves. You're her son, so you deserve to know her as well as possible. Love means loving someone in spite of their flaws." Steven nodded. He was old enough to know his mother was not perfect, so in a way he was grateful, as he knew Pearl and his dad would never tell him a harsh truth like this. "Thank you, Garnet. I needed to see that. What do we do now?"

Garnet took his hand. "For now, we'll return to the temple." Garnet led Steven back to the temple just as the sun was peeking over the water. Steven paused a moment to look at the beautiful glimmer of the sun on the ocean, but a nudge from Garnet sent him back into his room without argument. Steven hoped they'd come around soon. He missed the outdoors.

Meanwhile, in the Universe household, everyone was sitting at the table eating breakfast. Pearl had made a delicious, healthy breakfast scramble. Greg had left a small tv on, playing the news, as no one was very chatty this morning. Everyone was wrapped up in their own thoughts.

Lapis was trying to get used to eating, but in her mind, she was busy struggling to come up with a plan of rescue. She wished there was a jasper or an amethyst here, someone familiar with military tactics. It was only the lack of a good plan that kept her from attacking the temple. Her limited patience had run out.

Greg picked at his food. His head was down looking at the plate which he would have normally found quite appetizing. He already had to deal with missing his precious Blue every day, but to not have his son at home weighed quite heavily on his heart. He had lost a bit of weight in the few days since Steven's capture, though not enough to be noticeable, as Pearl was making certain he ate thrice a day, even if he didn't eat much at each meal.

Pearl had packed up a portion of the breakfast scramble she'd made for Steven. She had been missing Steven very much over the past few days. It had turned out that her attachment to the diamond child was greater than even she had thought. Suddenly, a news broadcast caught her attention.

"And in other news, there was a violent, but very focused earthquake in a mountain range in Korea. The area is uninhabited by humans, which is fortunate as the 4.5 earthquake would have been devastating in a populated area. Thus far no aftershocks have been recorded, but scientists have already departed to the location of the quake to inspect it."

Pearl gasped softly at hearing this and stood up. "Greg, please excuse me. I need to go… run an errand. Lapis Lazuli, please accompany me." Lapis looked at Pearl with suspicion, as the other gem was clearly reacting to something she didn't know about. "Okay." Lapis stood from her chair.

Greg stood up as well. "Pearl, do you need me to come with you? What's going on?" Pearl shook her head. "No, Greg. This is urgent, but it does not require your attention." She struggled to think of a distraction. "Please, bring Steven his breakfast. It will be cold by the time I return." Greg nodded and went to the counter for the plastic container, but still gave Pearl a skeptical look.

Pearl swiftly left the house and headed for the nearest warp pad. "Okay, what was that about?" Lapis asked. "Please, be patient. If I am wrong, I do not wish to upset Greg. We will see if I'm correct in a moment." Lapis frowned. Pearl seemed… excited? Scared? Tense? She couldn't quite place the stoic Pearl's emotions, but she wanted to know what was putting the normally calm Blue Pearl into an agitated state.


	9. A Miracle, a Battle, and a Disaster

Blue Diamond opened her eyes and looked around herself, momentarily confused. The last thing she remembered was being in labor with her child, Greg and Pearl at her side. She looked behind her, an emergence hole in the steep mountain side.

The Diamond grinned as the rest of her memories began flooding back. It had been untested and therefore risky, but her plan had WORKED! She had done what no other gem had even dared try.

She quickly approached a nearby lake to examine her reflection on the water. She was pleased with what she saw. Her new gem was a perfect copy of the one she had given to her son, and her physical form was exactly as before. Blue Diamond was practically giddy with excitement.

Blue headed back to where she remembered the Palanquin being left. She found it slightly dusty, leading her to assume it had been receiving regular cleaning by Pearl and was due for another soon. Good. That just meant she wouldn't be waiting too long.

The Diamond seated herself in her throne to wait. From there, she spotted a framed photo hanging from the wall. It was small to her full sized form, but large to a human. She took it off the wall carefully and held it close to her eye to see it.

The photo was of an older looking Greg with a child, their child. Greg had been correct, and they'd had a boy. Blue had thought that because human females were a bit more similar to gems that they would have a girl, not that she cared. She was a mother and that was what mattered to her.

Blue examined the child more closely. The straight, shiny black hair, the pudgy masculine form, the adorable little grin, and the blue eyes, icy in color but with a distinct warmth. All of it made her eyes well with tears of joy, and her whole being flood with pride. Their little Steven was perfect.

Her own reaction pleased her even more. Blue had just KNOWN she would have maternal instincts. She couldn't wait to see him in person, but she silently chided herself to be patient. To her it was as if she had been giving birth only minutes ago, but her poor Greg had been waiting so much longer. Soon she could embrace her beloved husband and hold her son. Soon her family would be whole.

Putting the photo back, her eyes landed on the Diamond Line, and that pushed her excitement away from the forefront of her mind. She considered calling Yellow and White, but decided against it. She wasn't ready to call them just yet. She wanted to get things squared away with her family first. Surely White would demand to meet them as soon as she learned Blue had made a family, and Blue Diamond wanted them to be ready for that. She knew she'd need to call them soon though.

Blue pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind for now. She had to think of her precious Greg and her darling little Steven. Should she hug Greg first or kiss him first? What would her first words to her son be? Blue Diamond busied herself planning the moment in her mind, wanting it to be perfect.

Less than an hour later, Pearl and Lapis approached. Lapis gasped softly when she saw the silhouette of her diamond sitting inside. "What the… how…?" Lapis looked at Pearl, who didn't look surprised at all.

"Oh dear. What horrible timing." She whispered in a voice even softer than usual. She turned to Lapis. "Please, do not inform our Diamond of Steven's situation. The only way she might take this information calmly is if she hears it from Greg." Lapis smirked and nodded. She'd do as Pearl asked, but doubted it would make any difference. The Crystal Gems had been given a chance to release Steven on their own, but their time had run out.

Blue looked over to the gems when the gossamer curtains parted. She expected Pearl of course, but was surprised slightly by the unfamiliar Lapis. Pearl and Lapis Lazuli both flashed the Diamond Salute. "Greetings, My Diamond." Lapis Lazuli said. "Welcome back, My Diamond." Pearl said.

The Diamond nodded to Lapis, deciding to ask about her presence later. "Hello Lapis. Hello Pearl. Tell me, how long did the formation of my new gem take?" She asked. "A bit longer than expected…" Pearl admitted. "It's been fourteen years, rather than the ten you calculated." Blue Diamond shrugged. "Not too far behind schedule."

Blue put her hand on the control pad and activated the palanquin which had sat there for the last fourteen years. Those fourteen years were as nothing for the well-made gem machine, as it immediately rose onto its spider like legs. Lapis and Pearl both swayed and struggled to keep their balance while it rose up.

"Come, Pearl. Guide me to the home Greg chose for us." Blue said. Pearl noticed her tone was more gentle than her usual 'giving an order' voice, but still came to her side quickly. She directed her Diamond to a nearby warp pad to get to Beach City, then to the mansion on the outskirts of town.

Blue purposefully kept the palanquin outside the town borders, to limit the number of humans frightened by her mode of transportation. Within minutes the palanquin was in the Universe family's front yard, and its driver brought it to rest there.

She rose from her throne and shrunk herself down to her reduced form, so that she could more easily receive the love Greg was surely about the lavish upon her. Pearl and Lapis stepped out of the palanquin first and Pearl tried the door. She felt some degree of relief upon finding the door unlocked and opening it to hear an upbeat guitar tune. Pearl hadn't had a clue what to tell her Diamond if Greg hadn't beaten them home.

The two subordinate gems allowed their Diamond to enter first. Blue Diamond followed the music to the living room. Greg was sitting on the couch, trying to cheer himself up with the happy tune.

Blue felt joyful tears start welling in her eyes again. She cared nothing for the increase in weight and the balding on top of his head. To Blue Diamond, Greg was just as beautiful as he ever was. "Greg!"

Greg Universe struck a sour note in shock. He knew that voice, but it couldn't be. He looked up and there was his wife, her arms open wide for an embrace. "Blue…" He stared in disbelief for a moment before the shock melted into elation. "Blue!" He quickly placed his guitar aside and rushed into her waiting arms.

Greg and Blue held each other tight and kissed each other's faces, all else being momentarily lost in the bliss of their reunion. "Blue, how is this even possible?" Greg asked. Blue dried his eyes and her own. "There will be time for explanations soon, my love. First, where is Steven? He needs to meet his mother."

Greg's smile faded. The same apprehensions Pearl had been carrying now hit him. He knew he must break this news to her carefully. Blue's temper was soothed by his presence, but not eliminated.

"Darling, let's sit down. I need to tell you something about Steven." This made Blue frown and was her first red flag that something was wrong. "What's wrong, Greg? Where's Steven? Is he hurt?!" Blue asked, quickly growing upset.

"No! Steven is fine! Listen to me, Blue. Steven is FINE." Greg assured her. He led her to the couch to sit down. Greg held both of her hands and looked her in the eye. "Honey, right now Steven… is with the Crystal Gems." Blue opened her mouth to protest, but Greg shushed her gently. "I KNOW you think homeworld forces destroyed them, and they did destroy MOST of them." Greg told Blue the story of how they'd moved there and discovered the handful of remaining Crystal Gems, of the mirror and Lapis, of the healing fountain, and how Steven had come to be captured by them.

"It's really not as bad as it sounds. They aren't hurting him. They're keeping him comfortable and even letting us visit, they're just not letting him leave. And they're only doing that because they're scared." Greg said.

Blue listened to the entire story, her expression changing as appropriate. Now she was stone faced and stood up, but Greg kept hold of her hands. "Love, I know what you're thinking, but you need to remain calm and think rationally."

After a moment's hesitation, Blue Diamond took her seat again. "You're right. Don't worry, my Dear. I am perfectly calm and I AM thinking rationally. It is not time for action just yet. We must formulate our rescue plan first."

The diamond beckoned Pearl and Lapis over, motioning for them to sit. The two blue gems did as asked. "Shall I call Yellow Diamond for backup?" Pearl asked. "No, we won't need it. There are only four of them. We don't need to outnumber them. Especially not with their temple being on the beach. Lapis Lazuli, you will be instrumental in this plan." Lapis grinned. "With pleasure, my Diamond."

Greg sighed, knowing he would never be able to talk her into waiting. "Blue, promise me you won't shatter them. They could have been cruel and made things so much worse, especially after the way I tricked them. They don't deserve to die."

Blue smiled tenderly. Her Greg was so kind, wanting to have mercy on the rebels. She supposed that with only four of them it wouldn't be so hard to just poof and bubble them. Besides, that would give her time to think of a more fitting punishment than shattering. "Very well, Greg. I promise. No shattering." Greg smiled with relief.

Hours later, the plan was made and the blue gems took to the beach. Blue Diamond stood at her full Diamond height Greg stood at Blue's side, refusing to be left in the safety of the home on the grounds that Steven was his son too and he should be there if he was needed. Secretly, he hoped if it came to a stalemate he would be able to talk both parties down.

Pearl was hidden slightly beside the temple statutes stomach. Her instructions were to lash out and try to strike by surprise, keep moving, and do her best to be a distraction. There were no words for how badly she didn't want to do this.

Lapis flew near Blue Diamond's shoulder. She was so ready to fight, even if she wouldn't be allowed to shatter anyone. "We must draw them out. Lapis, shake things up." Blue Diamond ordered. Lapis took a deep breath and focused her powers.

A giant wave surged forward and slammed into the temple, parting around Blue Diamond and Greg, the spray just barely misting them. The impact of the wave caused a heavy tremor in the temple. Lapis was careful not to put too much into it. Steven was still inside, after all.

"Ah! What was that?!" Steven cried, jumping out of the desk chair. Rose Quartz stood up, her eyes narrowed, and her face became very serious. "That was too big to be a corrupted gem. Steven, stay put. And I'm saying that for your own safety." She said. Steven nodded.

Rose Quartz opened the door and no sooner had the door shut than she was shocked by the sight before her. Blue Diamond on the beach with a Lapis at her shoulder. At her feet was Greg, looking very upset.

A scream erupted from over her head and Rose Quartz looked up. Garnet was being held up by two streams of water, each wrapped around one wrist and trying to pull the fusion apart. Rose quickly summoned her shield and threw it, breaking one of the water streams and freeing Garnet enough to regain some control of the situation.

Blue Diamond spotted Rose Quartz. She contained the rage that threatened to burst forth. The last thing she needed was to inadvertently boost the Crystal Gems' aggressions. Blue put her hand out and shot her lightening at the traitor, cursing silently as the Quartz leapt out of the way at exactly the right moment, and was lost behind one of Lapis's waves.

Amethyst used her whip to hurl away a large boulder which Lapis's water had tossed at her. Pearl was sneaking up behind Amethyst with her knife, hand trembling as she prepared to destroy her physical form.

Suddenly, she was grabbed and thrown against the cliff wall. The other Pearl pinned her there by holding her spear across Blue Pearl's shoulders and collarbone, pressing on her roughly. "How is Blue Diamond here?!" She hissed, equal parts fear and anger in her eyes.

Blue Pearl cringed with the pain and glanced over at Blue Diamond. She was still distracted trying to hit Rose Quartz and Garnet as they leaped around deflecting the streams of water. "That's not important right now. Please, get Steven. My Diamond won't end this until Steven is in her arms."

Before Pearl could respond to the plea, Lapis had noticed her ally's predicament and swept the opposing Pearl away in a wave, throwing her up into the air. Fortunately for Pearl, Rose caught her. "Rose, Rose we have to-" Rose cut Pearl off. "Steven, I know."

Rose Quartz landed in front of the temple and opened the door. "Steven, come outside!" Rose called. Steven hesitated, but only for a second at the frantic sound of Rose's voice. He jumped up and rushed towards her.

Steven saw only high water, but then had to immediately block his eyes. Having not seen full daylight in a week, the brightness was painful. He heard sloshing, splashing, cries of pain, and what sounded like someone calling his name over the crashing of the water. He tried to look around again but again the light was too much. Rose took his hand and began to lead him forward, walking calmly. Blue wouldn't use her lightening at the risk of hitting Steven.

However, she didn't count on Lapis snatching Steven away from her in a swell of water, intending to deliver him right to Blue Diamond's feet. Steven panicked at being unexpectedly submerged and tried to swim upwards. Lapis quickly changed the shape of the swell, so Steven's head was sticking out.

Amethyst saw all this and misinterpreted the plan. She used her whip to lasso Steven and pull him out of the water. "Aaaah!" He cried out. Salt water and sun in his eyes left him basically blind and terrified at being constantly yanked around. "Amethyst!" Rose called out to her.

Amethyst ran to Rose, carrying Steven with her. "We have to give Steven to her! Then Greg will be able to calm her down!" Garnet called out, jumping down from one of the temple's arms to escape another lightning bolt.

Steven was finally able to open his eyes by shading them with his hand, but things were still blurry from the remaining salt in his eyes. He saw the willowy form of Pearl and ran for her, acting on instinct.

What Steven didn't realize is it was the Crystal Gem Pearl he was headed towards, and Lapis was sending a huge wave carrying several rocks at her. Pearl smacked the rocks away using her spear to deflect them. She didn't hear Steven running up behind her. The wrong move met the wrong moment and the handle end of Pearl's spear hit Steven right in the gem with a sickening crack.

Steven fell to the sand and immediately passed out from the pain. Blue Diamond saw the whole event unfold but could not react in time to stop it. "STEVEN!" She screamed in utter horror and blue energy shot out from her, enveloping every gem there in her panic and concern. Greg did not need her emotional projection to share her feelings.

Seized by both Blue's dread and her own, Lapis completely stopped using her powers. The massive swells and waves dropped and momentarily flooded the beach before flowing back down into the ocean. Greg had to cling to Blue Diamond's robes to avoid being swept away. The water resumed its small waves lapping softly at the shore.

Blue Diamond, Greg, Pearl, and Lapis all rushed to Steven. The Crystal Gem Pearl looked down at him, aghast at what she had accidentally done. The rest of the Crystal Gems approached Steven more carefully, concern for him not QUITE drowning out the concern that Blue Diamond would lash out.

The Diamond's power receded, and she shrank down to her reduced form, kneeling in the sand and taking her son in her arms. She trembled when she saw the gem she once bore. It was not shattered to shards, as she had feared, but badly cracked, with one large crack running across it and many smaller cracks emanating from it. "No, my Steven, my baby." She said softly. She was too horrified to even cry.

Greg glanced at Rose Quartz. He wanted to ask her. He TRIED to ask her to heal Steven, but the words would not come. After this attack, how could they ever expect a yes? He held his son's hand and tears filled his eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Steven." Lapis whispered. The moment kept flashing in her head. She could have plucked him off the beach and to safety if she had just flown over to him during the battle or manipulated the water to snatch him out of harm's way. Even though the enemy Pearl's weapon had done the damage, she felt just as responsible.

"I-it is not shattered. He will still live." Pearl said softly, trying to offer some comfort to her group. "But not without incredible pain. He's cracked worse than I was." Lapis said solemnly. She didn't want her dear friend to know such pain.

The Crystal gems formed a larger circle around the huddled group. They were all worried for the child who had managed to befriend each one of them. Garnet used the moment of quiet to check the future for options. Amethyst watched, the whole event still absorbing into her. Pearl felt herself sink into guilt and looked to Rose for guidance.

Rose Quartz stood there with a look of determination on her face. Blue Diamond was vulnerable. She saw her chance to end this before Blue's distress shifted into a stronger thirst for revenge and she clenched her sword's hilt in her hand. She took a deep, calming breath.


	10. Hard as Diamond

Okay, first some review replies:

Trickster3696 – Rose knows what she's doing, I promise ;)

7sky – I'm glad you're enjoying it. I love the show and put quite a bit of effort into keeping the characters in character. I often edit and try to decide if a character would say this or do that, and how they would do it. Thank you for the constructive criticism. I will try to keep my dialogue neater from now on.

Fanfic girl of all worlds – Here's more :3

~On with the fic!~

"Blue Diamond." Blue looked at the gem she hated so much, but could not muster even a glare right now. Rose held her sword in a non-aggressive stance, the hilt in her hand but the blade pointing towards the ground, rather than raised for attack. "I can heal your son."

Blue Diamond narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "For a price, I assume. Name it then." She said stiffly. Normally she would never negotiate with a rebel, let alone THIS rebel, but Steven's health was on the line. Not to mention having a cracked gem left him more vulnerable to being shattered in the future.

"A truce." Rose Quarz held her sword out sideways and dropped it in the sand, showing her intention of non-violence. "You don't attack us, and we won't attack you. If you truly want to stay here on Earth, as Steven said you did, then my price is peace." Rose Quartz stepped closer and offered her hand to the kneeling Diamond.

"Rose! We can't make a deal like that!" Pearl said, nearly squawking as she did. "How do we know she'd even keep her word?!" Pearl said. Rose looked to Garnet.

The fusion had a knowing smirk on her lips. "If she makes the promise, she'll keep it. To make such a promise and break it would be like telling her family that they aren't worth keeping her word for. She'd never want to tell Greg and Steven they don't mean that much to her."

"How dare you? My family means everything to me!" Blue Diamond asserted, hugging Steven protectively and leaning a bit closer to Greg. Even from her knees, she shot the fusion a withering glare.

Garnet just smirked back at her. "Then here's your chance to prove it. Give your word and shake Rose's hand. Show them you'll do anything for them, even laying down your grudge."

"My Diamond, Please don't let them goad you into making a snap decision." Lapis Lazuli said. She could see Garnet was baiting Blue Diamond to take this oath to prove she loved her family.

Blue Diamond looked down at the child in her arms and her concerned husband kneeling in front of her. Greg gave her a pleading look, knowing this decision was hers and hers alone. Steven laid there in her arms, peaceful now, but it wouldn't last when he woke up.

Blue Diamond shifted Steven into one arm. She rose off her knees, standing tall as best she could at her reduced height, now eye to eye with her greatest enemy. "Rose Quartz… I accept your terms. Your healing tears for a truce. My court shall make no attack on the Crystal Gems from this day forward." Blue reached out with her free hand and grasped Rose's hand.

Rose shook it and smiled with relief. She'd noticed that Blue Diamond did not attempt to make any promises regarding the courts of the other Diamonds, not that she could make promises on their behavior. "Wonderful. Now, I will gladly fulfill my promise." The leader of the Crystal Gems stepped forward.

Now close enough to get a look at Steven, she gasped softly at the badly cracked gemstone. She allowed herself to think of the agony he would endure without healing. Such a kind, generous child did not deserve it. Rose let the emotional pain wash over her and felt the tears well up in her eyes.

Steven cringed in pain as he began to come around. Small whimpers of agony emanated of his throat. "Shhh, You'll be fine, Steven." She whispered. She wiped the tears from one eye with her fingertips and touched them to the diamond on his chest. The gem mended immediately, and Steven fell quiet for a moment. Rose Quartz stepped back to give them room.

Feeling the pain suddenly stop, Steven opened his eyes. He was highly confused to find himself lying on his back looking up into the face of his mother, smiling tenderly with a look of great relief. He'd seen his mother many times in his visions, but always from an observer's perspective.

"M-mom? Am I dreaming?" He asked softly, his hand subconsciously touching his gem to make sure it was still there. If he was dreaming, he definitely wanted to sleep for a little bit longer. Blue Diamond giggled, a sweet, musical sound he'd heard a few times in the recordings.

"I am not a dream, Steven. Nor am I a vision. Your mother is here. I'm sorry it took me so long." Blue adjusted Steven to an upright position and hugged him. Steven grinned, his eyes welling with happy tears, and threw his arms around his mother's neck, hugging her back.

Greg joined in with the hug as did Pearl. Lapis hung back, not feeling it appropriate to 'group hug' with her Diamond. She was happy Steven was well, but would wait her turn to hug him.

In that moment, Steven's world was turned upside down in the best way possible. He could hardly believe he was in his mother's arms, surrounded by his family. The gem he'd longed to meet his whole life was finally here after all that chaos…

That chaos, Steven now realized, was his mother's rescue mission. That sent a bolt of concern though Steven's heart. He looked away from Blue to look around himself. "The Crystal Gems…" He murmured, concerned that his new friends may have been harmed.

"We're right here, Steven. Everyone's fine. The only one who was hurt was you." Rose said in a soothing tone, almost cooing. Steven smiled as he looked around him, glad to see everyone accounted for.

"And you healed me. Thanks." Steven smiled his charming little smile. He quickly put two and two together over how the battle had ended without anyone getting seriously harmed after he had passed out.

"It was my pleasure, Steven. I'm sorry you were harmed at all. And Pearl is very sorry too." Rose rubbed her Pearl's back comfortingly. Poor Pearl still looked shaken up by nearly shattering him.

Blue Diamond held her son a little closer and glared at Rose Quartz. It was not a look of hate, but a look of jealousy. Blue didn't like that motherly tone the rebel was taking with her son. She had made peace with the fact that Pearl would be substituting in her place during Steven's earliest years while she was still pregnant with him, but it seemed the Quartz was trying to form a similar bond with Steven. Blue would be cracked before she'd allow Rose Quartz to steal her baby.

"Your pleasure, Ha. If you were really so eager to help him, would you have used his injury as leverage to make me agree to a truce?" Blue Diamond buried a hand in Steven soft hair as she spoke. Greg set a hand on Blue's arm, trying to calm his wife's raw nerves.

"You of all gems know it was the only way I could stop this battle from ending in flying shards. It was best for everyone in the long run." Rose Quartz kept her tone calm and non-confrontational. Though she believed Garnet's prediction that they were now safe from Blue Diamond, Rose wanted to show her that she was willing to make an effort to maintain the truce.

"Mom, this is a good thing. You want to protect Earth, right? Well so do they. We should all work together." Steven's eyes went starry as he smiled at Blue. He wanted so badly to bring them all together.

Blue's immediate rejection of the idea got caught in her throat when she looked down at her son. His sparkling eyes and smiling face were difficult for her to say no to. She knew she must be patient and explain these things to him properly.

"Steven, I know you mean well, but you don't understand what they've done to-" Greg hugged them both. Blue looked to him, not even minding being cut off. Greg drew a deep breath.

"Blue, Steven knows about Pink. I know what they did is terrible. Taking any person's life is terrible. War is terrible and people in wars do horrible, horrible things. Sometimes for the sake of what they believe in and sometimes just for survival. It takes a person of great courage to put that kind of thing behind them, but I believe you have that courage." Greg said, smiling tenderly at her. Blue Diamond blushed a darker blue.

Steven slapped his forehead lightly. "Of course, what was I thinking? We need bonding time. Let's all have a Together Breakfast tomorrow!" Steven said. He looked so delighted and sure of himself. Blue melted for her son. She looked to Rose Quartz, still trying to maintain the feeling of being in charge of the situation.

"Very well then. We will meet here for breakfast at eight tomorrow morning." She commanded. Blue left no room for debate or negotiation. She wanted these rebels to remember this truce had only come because she gave her word, not because she couldn't crush them.

"We'll meet you tomorrow. See you then, Blue Diamond." Rose Quartz answered. Pearl and Amethyst looked a bit offended at her tone, but Rose Quartz just smiled. Rose picked her sword up out of the sand and returned it to its scabbard.

Blue Diamond shifted Steven into one arm again and turned to go home, taking Greg's hand with her now free hand. Pearl and Lapis followed. Pearl kept her eyes forward, but Lapis kept glancing back, not trusting the Crystal Gems.


	11. Questions and Answers

(Sorry this took so long, guys. The fact of the matter is two things: 1 I was struggling with trying to get out of my job, which I really hated and left me drained and often crying after shifts. I do have a better less stressful job now thankfully. Secondly I was having trouble coming up with a way to explain Blue coming back, as this would not be allowed by the rules established in canon so I had to take my best logic and stretch it. Thank the diamonds I don't write for SU.

Something I need to clear up before this chapter starts, I did not intend Garnet to come off harsh or cruel when she smiled while Steven was injured. I had set that up for a reveal as to why she /spanspan class="tm5"was smiling later, and I had thought more people would be able to guess why she was smirking. Since it seems people can't guess, I won't spoil it, but let's put it this way, her smirk was directed towards Blue rather than towards Steven's dire situation. Remember that Garnet always lives PARTIALLY in the future and it only takes her a second or two to see events play out in advance. Now here we go.)

"Steven clung happily to his mother's chest as Blue Diamond carried him towards home. One arm held him securely while the other held hands with Greg. Blue head was still reeling a bit. A truce with the Crystal Gems? How would she ever come to terms with this herself, let alone tell Yellow and White?

She felt her son cuddling into her and smiled down at him. She'd figure it out somehow. Greg walked with her in comfortable silence until they reached home, Lapis and Pearl following silently. Pearl moved ahead only to open the door for them. After Lapis, Pearl entered and closed the door behind her.

"My Diamond, it's nearly lunch time. Do you have any need of me before I go prepare a meal?" She asked dutifully. Pearl was slipping right back into her normal role surprisingly easily. Blue Diamond shook her head.

"Go on, Pearl. I'm sure these three want to be informed on what you already know." Pearl curtsied and went to the kitchen. Blue turned and led the rest of their party to the living room. Blue Diamond seated herself on the couch, placing Steven in her lap. Greg and Lapis sat down with her.

"I'm certain all three of you have questions. Where shall we start?" She asked. Her gaze was tender and happy, much more so than Lapis could ever remember seeing on her. Lapis wondered if this was what a Diamond looked like when her guard was down.

"How is this possible?" Greg blurted out, repeating the question he'd asked when he saw her that morning. Blue drew him even closer. Steven looked up at his mother with great curiosity, more than ready to hear this explanation.

"Ah, the most complicated question first. Well you and Lapis both know the basic process of gem creation, and I'm sure Pearl has taught Steven. Well the development of a sentient mind in a gem is what separates autonomous gems from a simple gem power source. Certain resources can be combined into a... fluid that absorbs into a gem as it incubates and causes it to develop its own mind, to become a person. It's the... essense of gem life.

"When I was pregnant with Steven I had an idea, that perhaps if the essence could be removed from my gem-" She paused to tap the diamond on Steven's chest for clarifiation. "Then perhaps it would be possible for my essensce to be transplanted into an incubating gem." She paused again and tapped the diamond on her own chest. "I made the plans and instructions on how such a thing would be done, and Pearl followed through on them, extracting my essense and transfering it after Steven's birth. The details are complicated, but to make a long lecture short, Pearl had to extract my essence from my original gem, then transfer it into the drill with the carbon and just the right amount of boron to make a new gem for me." Blue Diamond explained.

Greg gave her a sad look. "Blue, why didn't you tell me you were coming back?" He asked. Blue drew him closer. "It had never been done before. No peridot on homeworld was ever assigned to try such a thing. I decided not to tell you, because if it failed I didn't want you to spend your life waiting. The same goes for you, Steven. Besides, it did take longer than intended. We managed to use some ideal placement and experimental techniques to speed up the incubation rapidly, but I couldn't be sure it would work and work quickly."

Lapis listened silently up until this point, absorbing the information. "You took such a big risk for them. It could have been the end of you, My Diamond. Why?" She asked softly.

Blue straightened up a bit, her natural inclination to come off as absolute authority coloring her action and her words. "Because I wanted to have a child. I wanted to experience motherhood like humans do. I wanted it badly enough that it was worth the risk." She hugged Steven closer to herself, as if he could still be taken from her.

Greg placed a hand on her shoulder. "Blue, no need to be so harsh. She doesn't know us or understand us like Pearl does, but she'll get there. You don't need to DEFEND your choices. It's understandable that she's curious." Blue relaxed and checked her tone, stroking Steven's jet black hair.

Lapis cringed a bit, but seeing Blue calm down, she dared to ask one more question. "My Diamond, are we... going to go home soon?"

Blue Diamond nodded. "Yes, we'll need to return to Homeworld soon, at least for a bit. I have to catch up on what's going on in my court, as well as catch up with Yellow and White. They'll want to meet Greg and Steven too."

Steven gasped. "We're going to go to Homeworld?!" He said excitedly. Greg couldn't help but feel a bit of his old wanderlust build up, but he had to think logically. "Are you certain it would be... safe for Steven there?" He asked.

"You'll both be perfectly safe there. I'll see to that." Blue promised. "Besides, it's not as if we're leaving for homeworld tomorrow. There is catching up as a family to do here, and plans to make for the trip. We'll need to think about food, and see what clothes you and Steven will need. We may need to have Pearl make you some new outfits that will allow you to fit in better." Blue resisted the urge to start making plans at that very moment. There would be time for that while Greg and Steven slept that night.

Greg and Lapis took the time to fill Blue in fully on what had been going on in Beach City, and the alliance Steven had been slowly building with the Crystal Gems. Steven was also excited to tell his mother all about his new friend Connie.

"Ah, a new friend so quickly? I suppose socialization tends to be easier for children. None the less I'm proud of you. I'll have to meet her soon." Blue smoothed Steven's hair, while Steven pulled out his phone to show Blue pictures.

"Everyone, dinner is prepared." Pearl said, standing in the doorway. Everyone stood and followed her, even Lapis. So far the Lazuli had refrained from eating, but she decided if Blue Diamond was going to eat, she may as well try it. It was there in the dining room where Blue finally set Steven down for the first time since picking him up, in the seat next to hers, of course. And obviously Greg on her other side. Yet Blue still held the nagging feeling that the family wasn't completely reunited just yet.


End file.
